The Bright Hero, Cobalt
by Chewie Cookies
Summary: The world of quirks, heroes, and villains is fraught with horrifying acts of cruelty, incredible acts of heroism, and the day to day mundane in between. Believing himself to be quirkless, Izuku Midoriya finds that his heart of gold and his desire to understand others can be a saving grace all on its own, and gains the power to protect others. But is it really that simple? IzuOcha
1. Chapter 1

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter One_

A/N: A big thank you to my editors Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83, along with all my friends who encouraged me to get into this again.

Introduction

This is the story of a young man. Many call him a hero. A smaller, but still significant number, call him a friend. In a world of quirks, giving the vast majority some ability that made them different, or more powerful, he was born without such a gift. "Quirkless," one would call him. In time, regardless of how he was born, he would become the greatest hero of all…

Mustafar Province, Year 22XX AD

Midoriya Izuku, just in his final year of middle school, was observing his dreams become fish food. Not metaphorically, mind you. His hero analysis notebook, tossed carelessly out the window, was now nourishing fish in the decorative pool it had landed in. Perhaps it wasn't literal either. Maybe it was both at the same time? His mind would race over the oddest things sometimes.

Extracting the treasured tome of tactical analysis and sketches from what would have been an underwhelming watery grave, the boy mutters to himself, "Kacchan, you can't go telling people things like that and expect to be a hero, much less number one…"

He refrained from putting what Katsuki had said into words. It made it easier not to think about, and less likely he'd be overheard and get them both in trouble.

"_At least he has long since stopped hurting me physically, though I still have no idea what happened that switched that around so abruptly,"_ the broccoli-haired boy mused internally.

It was true. For the longest time after learning he was quirkless, Kacchan had had no qualms about bashing him around verbally, physically, and explosively. Then, one day, he passed out during one of these tussles, and when he awoke, the other participants in his beating were the ones singed with telltale marks of the boy's quirk, and Bakugo Katsuki stupefied him twice with the same action by simultaneously apologizing profusely and angrily.

He never stopped verbally abusing him, though it became less frequent after that, and he not only refused to put his hands on him in any way that resembled violence, if he caught somebody else doing it…

There is a reason their homeroom teacher had looked up whether or not he could consider the act of laying hands on the small, quirkless boy a fire hazard.

As his thoughts and feelings chased each other in circles in his head, he found himself under an overpass, and abruptly felt wary for no reason he could think of.

Later in life, he'd be weirdly grateful that he didn't listen to his gut instinct of "Don't go in there, Izuku!"

An amorphous blob of a being emerged from the sewer maintenance hole in the ground, flinging the lid upward carelessly. Izuku was very aware of the prejudice against people with quirks deemed villainous by society, and so when what he thought was the right hemisphere of his brain screamed at him to bolt, he quashed it, believing it to be anxiety getting in the way of treating another person like...another person. Many people later in life would admire this trait of his, to give people the benefit of the doubt where he could. This man also appreciated Izuku's insistence on respecting others, but for all the wrong reasons.

In less than five seconds, Izuku was trying his best to simultaneously force the villain's gelatinous form from his throat and nostrils and get some much needed air. He scrambled his fingers fruitlessly against the villain's form, some basic part of his brain forcing him to fight as hard as he could despite logically knowing this man's body lacks something he could grasp like this, leading him into the darkness of his mind more swiftly than what would have happened otherwise…

Somewhere Simultaneously Close And Far, Far Away

As he fell into the depths of his own heart, he regretted being in too much of a hurry this morning to say goodbye to his mother properly, and perhaps it was this longing for connecting to others that caused what happened next. Where he was feeling naught but despair and regret, from nowhere, feelings bloomed that were not his own. After all, why would he feel parental pride in a child he'd never raised, or love for a person he's never heard of before? Spite towards a coworker he'd never met, or despair that he would not get away with his villainy now that All Might had arrived?

Believing that he was about to die, he reached further, hoping to find the hearts and minds of people he knew, and was startled upon finding he'd reached further than he'd intended, and was overwhelmed. He was now visible in this...whatever this was, and shining at his core was a tiny, bright light. Looking around, he saw many more lights, moving incredibly slowly, though a few moved at jogging speed, he noticed. Looking down, he was truly unprepared for what he saw and felt next.

The world was heavily populated, by humans, animals, plants, and other things. And upon seeing first hand the vastness of the planet in a way he could quantify, he FELT. If you existed on Earth at that moment in time, and were capable of thoughts and feelings at that moment as well, for that instant, Izuku Midoriya thought and felt with you. He was overwhelmed, yes, but not by the numbers like one might think. The love, joy, kindness, and all around positivity of the denizens of the world vastly outnumbered the spite and cruelty of what he assumed were villains. As much as he wanted to marvel at this discovery, if this was some deity giving him a chance to say goodbye before he passed on, he was going to use it.

For obvious reasons, he sought the light that was his mother first. His sweet mother, who wished beyond all things for him to be able to live in a way that made him happy, was a lighthouse in a storm for him at that moment. He'd always known she loved him, but to feel it himself, as if he were a passenger in her heart, let him know that he was never wrong to love and respect her. To her, he sent feelings of love, adoration, pride, and apology. Before he could attach further and delay the final two he wanted to check on, he let go, and sought out Kacchan.

Izuku was befuddled to find him feeling regret, and realizing it was directed towards what he'd said previously. Digging just a bit deeper, he found that Kacchan was currently thinking of a way to apologize properly for what had been said. To him, he sent feelings of forgiveness, pride, and hope for the future.

If he'd lingered on the two of them for even a moment longer than he had, he'd have realized they had felt something, had realized something had just touched their hearts, and that they didn't want it to go quite yet.

Last, he sought his hero, who had always inspired him to try and smile, even when weeping. He didn't know how easy or hard it would be to find All Might, considering their bond was probably one-sided, but he had to try. All Might was...All Might was…

Mustafu Province, Same Year, Thirty Seconds Or So After The Event

Yagi Toshinori was gently smacking this young man he'd just saved in the face, hoping he'd awaken soon so he could make sure he was all right personally before getting the crap out of there. He was breathing fine, and hadn't been unconscious for long from what little he could gather, but he had to make sure. It was part of the job, and he liked being thorough when he could, time limit or no. To his immense relief, the boy opened his eyes soon after, and had the freakout he typically associated with his more devoted fans. His joy was infectious, and seeing the kid as happy as he was about his signature somehow made him grin enough that it hurt a little, but he had to skedaddle. It would be upsetting for the kid's image of him to be broken so abruptly, so the Symbol of Peace made haste to the sky, only for…

"**Young man, I appreciate the adoration I get from each of my fans, but it is simply NOT SAFE TO DO WHAT YOU JUST DID! Please refrain from being near me when I take off in the future!"** the smiling giant reprimanded.

"I'M SORRY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING, JUST LAND SOMEWHERE, PLEASE!" the green haired fanboy screamed at a speed that made it somewhat difficult for All Might to comprehend. Comprehend he did, however, and he landed as well.

"I knew from the moment I saw notes in your analysis book you were a hero fanboy, but to think you were a Trekkie as well! I have to say, I can now claim with some sincerity that I encountered a Klingon while I was leaping over the cities of Japan, and that makes me smile just thinking about it!" the hero hiding in the form of a bigger, more muscly hero joked, enjoying the pun and hoping his small, green-haired rescuee appreciated it as well, even if it was just to groan at how ridiculous it was. He was rewarded with the small smile on the kid's face, along with a response in kind, telling him with very specific wording and tone that he got that reference. So he'd seen the MCU, then. "Now, I apologize for my sudden departure, but villains and time don't wait for small talk, I'm afraid, and time is of the essence in my profession! Bang on the door to the roof until either someone comes to check on the noise, or someone I send your way picks you up."

"Wait, PLEASE!"

The pure desperation in his voice, along with Toshinori's 'stalker sense' not going off even after the kid hijacked him like he was a plane and not a man, stopped the hero in his tracks. He was still on the clock, after all, and heroes didn't ignore pleas that sounded as painful as this one.

"I...I've always wanted to be a hero...Ever since I saw the video of your debut, where you saved over a hundred people in a single disaster, I wanted to be like you, somebody who could help people keep going, and make them happy while I do it. I want people to look at me, and see a guarantee that they aren't going to be hurt while I'm around. However, there's one major problem with becoming that kind of hero...I've tried to deny it for so long, but a hero needs a quirk to be truly reliable, and so I need to know, from somebody who would have more experience with the subject than I would…" Izuku rambled, trying his best to make his voice loud enough and clear enough for All Might to understand.

"_Experience with the subject? Kid, you have no idea…"_

"Can someone like me...A quirkless nobody...CAN I BE A HERO?!" the boy asked in a scream so desperate, so hurt, it was almost quiet. He did not expect what he was about to see in the slightest.

An emaciated man stood before him. Where once there was a titan, there now was a twig. He felt horrible for the thought the instant it formed in his head, but he was so THIN!

"YOU'RE NOT ALL MIGHT! YOU'RE AN ESCAPEE FROM A HOSPITAL!"

Toshinori sighed, then immediately regretted doing so as a bit of blood came up in the ensuing cough. "Young man, take it easy. I am All Might, and I'm also probably the only person in the area capable of both escaping a hospital AND jumping through the sky like I did a moment ago. Remember that? You were there!"

Calming down far more quickly than could be considered normal, the small fry simply replied, "Oh, right, that. That happened, didn't it? Why are you like this, though? I don't understand how that fearless smile can turn into such a grimace, not to mention the unhealthy and abrupt loss of mass!"

Sitting down, Toshinori Yagi, gestured for the kid in front of him to do the same. "That smile isn't as fearless as you think, first of all, and secondly, even in this form, I can give you a smile that's actually fearless when lives aren't at stake," the blond bombshell (seriously, check his power output. I'm not wrong about him being a bombshell) replied, then proved it with a smile that actually got Izuku to reciprocate, giving a shy grin of his own. "I wasn't always like this, you know. I got in a fight with a villain five years ago, and I came out on top, but I also lost something important…"

"Well, if it was your fight with Toxic Chainsaw, the fight was pretty one-sided, and you clearly didn't lose hope or your will to fight, so..."

Toshinori smirked, "You're a weird kid. Fun weird, not creepy weird. I'm complimenting you and doing a crap job, and I'm sorry about that. But you're both right and wrong about your answers. I happened to be the closest when Toxic Chainsaw suddenly appeared that day five years ago, but if I hadn't been, there were at least ten pros in the area that would have taken him down quickly enough. No, the fight I'm talking about was kept under wraps at my request. It was...not the kind of fight you bring up in pleasant conversation. As for the important thing I lost…" At this, the frail man lifted his shirt and showed off what caused him to appear before Izuku as emaciated as he was. "I'd say my stomach and part of my respiratory system are pretty important things for me to have lost."

Izuku gaped for all of five seconds before shutting his mouth to be less disrespectful. The injury looked horrible, and some nagging feeling in the back of his head told him that even with how casually the hero showed it off, the wound was far more emotionally painful than it was physically. He looked All Might dead in the eyes, and responded, "I will tell exactly zero people about this. That injury gives me incredibly bad feelings."

Toshinori sighed in relief, thankfully not coughing up blood from exhaling this time. "Good to know I don't have to tell you that this can't get out. Quirkless or not, you've got a good head on your shoulders. Speaking of, I need to answer your question, but to answer as thoroughly as I can, I'll need you to tell me your date of birth, because my answer probably isn't the one you're expecting, but I've gotta make sure."

The knotted mass of feelings, thoughts, and flesh that was Izuku answered before he even had time to think. "July fifteenth, sir. I'm fourteen."

Toshinori nodded. "I've got a very specific list here on my phone, and you'll know soon why I've got it. Now, let's just scroll a bit, aaaand...Wow, kid, you're pushing it, but you might still have a quirk sitting in there that could emerge before you'd apply to a hero school," All Might said with a smile that looked relieved enough for the both of them.

Izuku could only choke out a, "Wh-what?"

Toshinori leveled his gaze at the kid. "Quirks are weird as hell, and the researchers studying them are still figuring new things out, but there is precedent for quirks awakening in people who were older than you. Twenty-four thousand, five hundred and sixty-two cases exist in recorded history of people older than you obtaining a quirk. It's a small number when compared to how many did that before turning four, but it's not impossible. Four hundred and thirty-seven of these people became heroes. And as for why I'm personally invested in this information, well…" and here, he grinned like the cat that ate the canary.

"You're looking at a living part of that statistic. I got my quirk when I was a couple months older than you are today."

For half a second, Toshinori thought he saw a blue glow surround the boy before him, though it may have been a trick of the light, so he resolved to be realistic and remind him of the odds those numbers told, even if it upset him. He had a feeling, though, that the kid wouldn't be upset for much longer.

"I hate to break it to you, though, but your chances of obtaining a quirk are still slim, and obtaining one that can be used for hero work is slimmer still. However, there are plenty of jobs you can apply for to become a hero. My best friend, a man I respect greatly, is a detective, and personally, my biggest hero happens to be a doctor! They are both heroes, surrounded by other heroes both quirkless and not, and if you don't get a quirk, become a hero by being like them instead of being like me!" The words of All Might were spoken with such incredible pride, that Izuku could FEEL how much he appreciated the work of this doctor and detective. It wasn't a perfect answer, but the man had clearly seen his need to be taken seriously, and made sure to give an honest, and hopeful, response.

This beautiful moment was interrupted by an explosion several blocks away, and Izuku could have sworn he heard a familiar voice scream for help in the back of his head…

In An Alley Near The Tatooine Open Air Market

Bakugo Katsuki was absolutely PEEVED. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue for him, but the source of his rage was one that was far more difficult to deal with. It wasn't somebody around him that had fucked up this time. No, this time HE was the one to fuck up, and what a way to do it!

Two of his cronies had followed him. They might be useful, since they might know something he might not think of to get as an apology gift for the bothersome kid he'd fucked up with. He wouldn't call these two friends, far from it. He had a friend once, essentially gifted to him on a silver platter, and then like a toddler, he chucked the plate to the other side of the room. By the time he'd realized how much of a fuckup he'd caused, it was far too late to salvage what might have been a healthy friendship. Now, he only really bothered Dek-no, Izuku, because his FUCKING PRIDE made it crazy hard to admit how much he fucked up, and he didn't want to be wrong.

He knew thinking like this was unhealthy, but the golem of flesh, blood, bone, and explosive sweat that was his body was controlled by an EMOTIONAL ASSHAT OF A BRAIN! There were days he wondered whether the world would benefit from him just getting the right hemisphere removed.

Hearing the word "Deku" brought him out of his head so fast it almost gave him whiplash. "Don't bother him for a month after this...No, just don't ever bother him again! And quit calling him Deku! I fucked up real bad this time," Katsuki said darkly.

One of the two of them, he'll just think of him as Minion Number Two, responded, "Yeah, you did kinda cross a line there…"

Katsuki's eyes widened dangerously. "Crossed a line? I think I fucking SMILED at him when I said that shit! I didn't just cross a line, I flew past it without any regard whatsoever, like I was Endeavor trying to get to the scene of a villain attack before All Might could beat me to it! Saying I crossed a line is like saying the ocean is a little fucking moist!" the teenage boomer (again, technically not wrong. Don't expect puns like that to ever vanish, BTW) shouted in response.

Minion Number One decided to make his stupidity apparent, and replied, "Well, it's just Deku-"

Really, compared to how pissed off he was, his response of blowing up a nearby dumpster was painfully underwhelming. "Don't. Call. Him. Deku."

The fear he saw in his cronies' eyes at the time was expected. What clued him in to the danger they were in was the intensity of that fear, as well as their eyes focusing above and behind him. Turning around, he saw the leery gaze of some buttmunch whose expression screamed "Villain." Naturally, Katsuki solved this problem by blowing it the fuck up. Problem is, Slimy McStink Turd was made of slime, and just put himself back together. Katsuki did some basic math in his head, and came up with the answer of fuckty-nine thousand fuck all.

"COCK-MUNCHING TURD MONGER!" He roared, aiming a weaker explosion at the extras who'd followed him today. If he was gonna get fucking murdered today, he was at least gonna do it right. Knocking those two out and getting them further away from the personification of raw sewage was an important part of that.

He was gonna go down swinging if he had any say in it, illegal quirk usage or not.

Minutes Later, With All Might And Izuku

Upon seeing the explosion, and realizing more were following, Toshinori beat the absolute crap out of a single spot on the door to the roof like a man possessed, until a breach allowed him to unlock and open it from the other side. Sensing the urgency of the situation, Izuku followed. He also noted to keep in mind that even in his base form, All Might is still pretty strong. It didn't take the two of them long to arrive at the scene of the destruction. The two of them had realized en route that the sludge villain that had unintentionally caused the two of them to meet had escaped when Izuku grabbed a ride on the skinniest assault craft in existence. And it gained the ability to throw around explosions at some point.

Oh. It got that by grabbing a really explosive person that Izuku cares about he doesn't know why he cares he doesn't know he wants to help move help him help him!

**HELP HIM!**

Then their eyes meet, and he stops for half an instant, feeling feelings that weren't his again. He thought that was just a near death experience. It came back? More importantly…

"_Stay the fuck away, Izuku!"_

"_Fucking live!"_

"_Grow fucking old!"_

"_Be happy!"_

"_**Look after my mom and dad. I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."**_

Izuku had no way to see it, but his eyes glowed green for all of one second, and he flew, his feet moving as fast as he could make them carry him. Past the heroes keeping bystanders safe. Past fiery, burning wreckage. His backpack is flung at the slime fiend before he even has a chance to realize he removed it from his back, books and stationary flung all over the monster who WAS HURTING HIS FRIEND RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM!

"KACCHAN!"

Screaming it like it was a battle cry, he then followed his school supplies' example and flung himself at the creature hurting his friend. The monster screamed something, and Izuku didn't know what was said, but it ticked him off enough that he punched the villain in his teeth. Its apparently SOLID teeth. The punch wasn't all that strong, but it must have startled the slimeball, because it lost a bit of its hold on Kacchan and more importantly, it let him _breathe._

"YOU STUPID DIPSHIT, IZUKU! YOU'RE GONNA GET KILLED! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! DON'T DIE FOR SOME EXPLOSIVE, ANGRY PISSANT LIKE ME! GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE AND LIVE! I AM NOT WORTH YOUR FUCKING LIFE!"

It should be noted that his response was both literally and verbally scathing. Letting him breathe had him firing off his quirk with greater might than he'd been using seconds before, and this was distracting as heck for the villain, who was having issues keeping in one piece now.

"Shut up, Kacchan!" Izuku growled at the boy before him, and even though the explosions kept coming, the look of absolute astonishment on his face let him know he FELT that. "I don't know if I felt this through a quirk or the act of some god, or even if it was real, but I felt what _everyone_ felt earlier today, and you know what? The world is beautiful. The world is worth fighting for."

YOUR FRIENDSHIP IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR!"

And Izuku glowed green. Green particles of...something, like a cloud of green mist, floated around them all. Things that had been sitting around, books, pencils, FLAMING CHUNKS OF RUBBLE, they stopped sitting around. They floated off the ground, and decided they didn't like the slime creature. They flew at him, not really doing all that much, but it did tell All Might that his new friend did have a new power, and now that he'd seen it, he no longer had to hold himself back like he had for the past quarter minute.

All Might flew at his foe, ripped the two kids away from him, and made it rain.

"**DETROIT SMAAAAAAASH!"**

He might not have Foresight like his former sidekick, but the little glimpse into the future he saw when looking at those two boys fighting to help each other out made him think for the moment that the future was looking pretty good.

Hours Later, Near Izuku's Home

Izuku's walk home happened in relative silence. It had stopped raining minutes after All Might saved the day, and after all the questioning from police, the clear sky and the warm sunset helped put him at ease. He was incredibly tired, but also incredibly satisfied with how his day had gone. He wasn't sure how it could get better at this point.

"Izuku!"

His heart nearly leapt from his mouth. No way. Did Kacchan just call him...something that wasn't Deku? "Kacchan, wha-"

Izuku didn't get to see how he did it, but it wasn't with his quirk, what with the lack of loud noises. Regardless, the green-haired boy found himself on his back, looking up at the sneering face of his friend. Some part of his brain assured him he wasn't in danger, and considering what his quirk seemed to be doing, he listened to that tiny voice, and simply smiled at the intimidating face of Katsuki Bakugou.

"Today, Deku the fucking weakling died. He was survived by his mother, who deserves every good thing that comes her way, his mother's best friends, who are like an aunt and uncle to him, and some dumb punk who fucked up and killed him."

This...was not how Izuku expected today to go at all.

"The dumb piece of shit, who should have been Deku's best friend, and should have fucking known better than to treat him the way he did, did not expect what happened next, though, and he should have fucking seen it coming."

Leaning back, Kacchan gazed skyward, a manic look on his face, and tiny explosions popping in his palms. "This world is full of heroes, and while Deku wasn't a hero, the man who rose where he fell, Motherfucking Midoriya Izuku, was. He came by one day and avenged Deku's death by punching his killer in his smug face!"

Laying off the pop rocks, Kacchan looked down to Izuku and glared. "Get off the fucking ground and deck me in the fucking jaw, nerd."

Izuku got up, and hesitated for but a few seconds, realizing that his friend needed this as much as he himself did, and his knuckles met the ash-blond's chin. The hot head was knocked back about a foot and a half, a bit of blood in his mouth from biting the inside of his cheek. He spat the bit of blood out on the ground. "That was pathetic. Get some muscle on you."

Katsuki turned around, about to head home, grinning like a madman. "I can't compete with you like that. Get some fucking training in, then we'll see who's the bigger hero when we get to U.A," the bombastic boy said with a glint in his eyes, then felt something...off, and turned around to see something crazy.

Izuku was positively beaming at him, and he was glowing again, but this time…

"Huh. Wonder what the blue glow means?"

Katsuki couldn't remove the grin from his face hours after he'd gotten home. The grin was unsettling as all fuck, but at least his parents knew it wasn't something to worry about.

Outside The Midoriya Residence

Izuku had nearly gotten home, when-

"**I am here!"**

All Might skidded to a halt right at the intersection near his home, and made his way over. Izuku stood there with his mouth gaping like a fish's as the mightiest of men made his way over, reverting to his base form quickly after appearing. The young fanboy came to his senses just as Toshinori stopped in front of him. "Kid, you were amazing. I'm glad I saw what I did, but I had a couple hours to think, and it was reckless of me to wait and see if your quirk emerged in that situation, no matter how sure I was it was going to happen soon, or how confident I was in my reaction speed, so I'm here to apologize for the gamble I took," the number one pro hero explained, grimace set on his face.

"Thankfully, I've thought of a very fitting way to repay you," he continued, a sheepish smile appearing on his visage. "I'm thinking I'll pull a string or two and take you to see that hero of mine. You know, the doctor I mentioned? She'll be able to help figure out what's up with your quirk and whatnot. After that, though...I'm going to train you for ten months, so you can get into whatever hero school you set your sights on. I'd recommend my alma mater, U.A., but I have no idea whether you have some other school in mind or not, so let's get you toughened up enough that you can go wherever you need to go to become a hero. Now, before anything, I don't think I got your name, kid. What's the name of the next big hero whose journey starts today?"

Izuku was glowing again. It kept happening, and it was a bit weird, but he wasn't complaining. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, sir!" he exclaimed happily.

The hero beneath a hero smiled, and extended his hand. "Yagi Toshinori. I look forward to seeing where you go from here."

The two shook hands, and were interrupted once more, not with an explosion this time, but with the front door opening.

Midoriya Inko wasn't what she used to be. Anxiety and stress had made her shorter and plumper than she'd once been, but she didn't let that get in her way of trying her best for her son. So when she felt him reach out into her heart earlier in the day, in a way that felt so hurt, she was beside herself with worry. Her relief when she saw the news later and learned he was okay was only tarnished by the concern that he could become a hero now. It was his dream, and she wanted him to be happy, but she couldn't stop worrying.

When she left the house to head to the station upon realizing he hadn't returned yet despite the lateness, she was a bit startled to see him shaking hands with a taller gentleman who gave the impression he was impressed with her son's actions. Suspicious thoughts aside, it was a happy day for her son, who had manifested his powers, and would now have an easier time of becoming a hero, so she didn't immediately demand answers from the stranger who appeared to have been talking to him, and simply opened her arms, tearing up as she and her son were wont to do, applying her quirk gently to let her brilliant, beautiful baby boy know she needed him in her arms.

"Izuku, I want to be mad at you, but...everything you did today was good. Your quirk manifested, you saved Katsuki, you survived to come home to me...I'm mad at you, and I will be finding a way to punish you properly, but I'm just so happy!" the big hearted woman wept, the waterworks coming on for real now. "My baby boy is a hero!"

If the startling amounts of water coming from the woman's tear ducts had startled Toshinori, the absolute flood that emerged from young Midoriya's had him nearly fall to the ground. The mother and son were an odd pair, but Toshinori smiled. That blue glow had come back, and he'd never known how peaceful green and blue looked together like that.

"This is the best part of the job, by far."


	2. Chapter 2

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

A/N: Big thank you to my editors, Penguin Lord0029, and nightwind83.

_Chapter Two_

Days Later, At Dagobah Municipal Beach

Izuku trained. He trained hard and long. He didn't want to do as much resting, but he rested hard and long as well. Removing trash from the beach was hard work, but it would be worth it. All Might worked hard to make a workout regimen that would grant him a decent amount of strength by the time the U.A. entrance exams rolled around. His mother was incredibly supportive as well, making sure to keep an eye on both him and All Might as they worked.

Normally, All Might would be off doing hero work for some of the training, but Izuku's powers were more unprecedented than just a late-blooming quirk, and his doctor friend insisted he be available to carry the boy to her office as swiftly as possible in case something went wrong.

Speaking of his doctor friend and the state of his powers…

One Day After The Incident, At U.A. High School

Recovery Girl frowned at the boy in front of her. "Kid, I get that what happened yesterday happened, but facts are facts. You're quirkless," she stated loudly enough to prevent the boy from interrupting her. Before he could retort again, she explained, "Quirkless does not mean powerless, sonny. The human body has done strange things long before quirks existed, and I don't think it will stop anytime soon. What you have is a power of some sort, but it isn't a quirk. If it were, the quirk factor would be in your DNA, just as it is in mine, All Might's, and your mother's."

Izuku was baffled. He sensed her sincerity with his new...well, it wasn't a quirk, was it? Whatever it was, the passive mind reading would not shut off, but he was typically not surrounded by people with spiteful thoughts lately, so he could deal with the feelings and thoughts in the back of his head that weren't his own.

On the other hand, it was very uplifting to have evidence right there in his head that All Might believed in him, and that his mother believed in and was proud of him. She was still getting over the fact that All Might and the skinny man from the other day were the same person, but she was incredibly capable of adapting. She always had been.

"Toshinori!" the Youthful Heroine barked. The gaunt man jumped a little in his seat. "I need you to keep an eye on this young man properly through his training. We're dealing with unknown territory here, so I need you to keep your heroics to the hours of the day when he's resting. Look out for anything unusual or dangerous, and have Miss Inko help you out where possible. Bring him to me for anything that rubs any of you the wrong way."

All Might sighed, turning to Inko. "Sorry about all of this, Midoriya-san," he said with a sheepish grin. Inko simply waved him off with her own awkward smile.

Back To The Beach

It was looking more and more like All Might's presence was going to be unnecessary, but having two people there to cheer him on made the work all the more satisfying to Izuku. He'd train his body by moving trash, and he'd train his new power by...also moving trash. Just, he'd move the same piece over and over with his mind, only getting rid of it at the end of the day, so as to not get rid of the mess before his body could benefit from it. It turned out he could carry some really heavy junk with his force powers, as he jokingly called them.

When Yagi learned he was calling them that, he laughed like a madman, and insisted on sitting on Izuku's shoulders like Master Yoda did with Luke, while Inko took a picture with her phone. All three of them had a good laugh afterwards, enjoying a water break then getting back to work.

The training went incredibly well, and Izuku learned what it was that decided whether his power went green or blue. Green came from the desire to protect, he'd determined, after a passionate talk with All Might on the most important aspects of being a hero had him glowing green throughout, despite not calling on the power consciously. Green was also the color his power appeared as when he summoned it without the use of his emotions. Without an emotion to call on this power, it was useful for carrying objects and people around, including Izuku himself, he'd discovered when fooling around with it. When he summoned it with his emotions, though…

They'd tried to test its durability, making a wall with the green energy for All Might to punch. The tests only really concluded that All Might was incapable of penetrating them. They had no limit to go off of yet, but if All Might couldn't break it after ten minutes of wailing on it, it was safe to say it made for a durable shield. It should be noted that while it would not break, it could be moved, but All Might assured them that moving it wasn't something that could be done without a strength enhancing quirk of some kind.

His blue power was something else entirely, however. It came from feelings of joy, and made him incredibly powerful, both with his knockoff force powers and his physical strength. He levitated every piece of junk on the beach at once using the blue power at one point, astonishing all three of them. If it continued to grow with him, he would become far more powerful than his own idol had ever been, regardless of Toshinori's plans for him.

And that wasn't even all of what it did, it seemed. When the blue juju was going, people nearby felt energized, like they had been given an incredibly effective pep talk. It was a shame that such a power would be out of reach during crises. Joy was not something that could be found when death and destruction surrounded you, and the ability to passively boost morale amongst your comrades and the people in danger was something that could be incredibly useful during some of the horrendous disasters that had become more commonplace in their world.

Thankfully, Toshinori had an idea for that. After all, his strength hadn't been enough to defeat All for One, but number nine might have better luck…

Sometime During Month Nine Of Training

Toshinori sat at the steps separating the beach from the city behind it, Inko beside him. Izuku was in the middle of jogging, while carrying an abandoned car with his telekinesis. Toshinori had been curious about something, but didn't want to ask too soon, not wanting to upset his student or his mother.

"I apologize if I'm being forward, and you don't have to tell me a damn thing about it if you don't want to, but who is the boy's father?" All Might asked, speaking softly so as to lessen any impact the question might have.

Inko sighed. She figured this question would come eventually, what with Izuku's strange power. She had thought long and hard about how she would answer it, and she hoped her new friend would be satisfied with her response for now. "He didn't have a father. I mean, he came from me and a man, but he was never part of our lives. I'd been going through a rough patch in my life, and one night I passed out drunk, and woke up where I'd fallen asleep, as if it were just a rough night. I hadn't even known I'd been raped until I'd missed my next period and went to see a doctor. It's a good thing I'd had such nightmares that night and sworn off alcohol for a while, otherwise he'd have been brain damaged! The man's quirk was perfect for his little hobby...If not for my decision to keep Izuku, he might not have gotten caught. I probably wasn't in my right mind thinking this, but I'd hoped that having a kid would brighten my spirits, so despite how he'd been conceived, I decided to keep him. Got a DNA test done, and that monster was caught. And even better…"

Inko gazed out at her son, with his big smile and his big heart. "I got the hero I needed during that time. Izuku may have been small and helpless, but he saved me. Raising him has been stressful at times, but when he smiles, and I mean really smiles, not that one he uses to pretend everything's alright when it's all gone downhill, it lifts my spirits. He puts all of who he is into helping people, and he never wants anything for it. It scares me that he has some sort of superpower now, and that he'll be using it to become a pro hero, but after how much he's helped me, how hard he's worked for this, telling him to let go of his dream now would be too cruel."

Toshinori gazed at the woman, dumbstruck. That was not what he'd been expecting, if he were to be honest, but he was glad it was an issue that appeared over and done with, with the evildoer caught, and mother and son being stronger for it. He turned his gaze back to the kid in question, who was now laughing a lot like himself when he wanted to look good for his fans, as if the setting sun had told him a good joke. All Might resigned himself to ask Tsukauchi if he ever needed information on the kid's dad, so as not to bother these two about the issue again.

The Morning Of The Exam

Toshinori Yagi exited his pickup, happy thoughts buzzing in his head. Izuku had done well thus far in his training, and spending time with him and his mother had been good for him. Hero work was hard, and the people he'd been unable to save haunted his every nightmare, but when he spent time with these two, it was like he was home with his own family again. His parents had been slain in a villain attack long before his debut, but he resolved to spend more time with the two Midoriyas. It could only be good for his mental health, and they were both very accommodating with his stomach issues where meals together were concerned.

Now, if Izuku had kept to his training regimen, he should have all of next week to work on the beach before he was finished, to keep his mind off of whether or not he passed the entrance exam. It was unlikely he'd fail, but waiting for the results with nothing to do would probably be nerve-wracking for the kid, something the Symbol of Peace remembered going through himself.

As he made his way onto the beach itself, it became obvious to Toshinori that he'd not accounted for his student's desire to get the job done. All of the remaining trash had been put into a single pile, and was being crushed by the force of his student's joy, the blue glowing particles of joy spreading and growing across the beach as the pile of trash was compacted into a smaller and smaller ball, with young Midoriya stood atop it, howling and whooping with joy at the sunrise.

"Oh, my…oh, my...**GOODNESS!"** All Might exclaimed in English, transforming into his buff form mid-shout. The trash ball was split into several pieces, each about the size of a fridge, as Izuku floated down from where the top of the pile had once been, dropping down the last two feet in front of Toshinori.

A confident grin split the boy's face. "How's that, All Might?" Izuku was incredibly proud of himself. He managed to exercise his muscles, his new powers, and his restraint all throughout last night, making sure to stop lifting with his physical strength when he'd deemed himself exhausted, then did the rest while lying on the beach resting via his crazy brain powers.

All Might deflated back to his base form, tearing up a little. "Stop making me regret having never raised a kid, young Midoriya. I'm really jealous of your mom right now! She must be so proud of you!"

Izuku chuckled nervously. "Hehe, actually, she is, but she's also really peeved that I was out all night before the big exam, if what I'm sensing is anything to go by," he explained, tapping his fingers together nervously.

Toshinori placed his hand upon the young man's shoulder. "You've done incredibly well, kid. I've got something to offer you for your hard work and dedication," he said happily.

Izuku interrupted him with a mental nudge. "If it's what you've been thinking about offering me the past month or so, we should really shut down our phones properly and take this discussion to the truck," he said seriously, already taking his phone out and shutting it down fully.

Toshinori blanched at this. "Y-you knew?"

Izuku nodded. "From what I can gather, when I spend enough time with somebody I have positive feelings for, I'm just there, in the back of their mind, to an extent. You've heard me speak to you a few times you were feeling down in the past couple of months, even when you were on the other side of the city. I can't just do that with anybody. It has to be somebody I care about. I don't know yet if the feelings need to be mutual, since I've only bonded with people who already respect and care about me thus far, but it's not something I can just turn off," he explained softly, then looked into Toshinori's eyes with such determination it was palpable. "I didn't talk to you about it because of the importance of your offer, and if you'd changed your mind at some point, I'd prefer my mom not be part of the secret at that point. She was always around before, so I didn't bring it up."

Toshinori's face was set in a grimace. "Y-yeah, I'll just shut my phone off, and we'll do this in the truck," he agreed nervously.

In a moment, they were both seated in the pickup, silent for a few minutes to let their nerves wear off. Toshinori was the first to break the silence. "I'm still of the opinion I should give it to you. I just want to know how much you already know, so I can fill in any of the blanks and reduce the hassle of passing my quirk to you."

Izuku sighed, fidgeting with his fingers for a few seconds before starting. "I know your quirk is One for All. It's a stockpiling quirk that's passed down from one user to the next. I know that you are its eighth wielder, and that even with this many users, you had trouble defeating...him...I know that the strength training you gave me was necessary, and that I should be careful using it so that I don't destroy my body. I...also know some of the more personal issues that came up with Sir Nighteye when you decided to train me over Mirio Togata, and I want to allow the two of you to connect again before...well, you know what the time limit he gave you was. If my power can be used as a bridge to bring you and Sir together again, it would make me incredibly happy," Izuku explained, a nervous smile on his face.

Toshinori barked out a laugh. "Even now, you're thinking of ways to save _me?_ You really are worthy, young Midoriya!" And so, the titan of heroism pulled out a single hair. "My predecessor, Shimura Nana, had some very nice words for me when she entrusted this torch to me. The difference between being lucky and being deserving is that one is an accident, and one comes from incredible effort. You've taken your first steps, now, receive the reward you have worked so tirelessly for! Eat this!"

Izuku blinked. _'Eat his hair?'_ he wondered to himself.

Toshinori chuckled. "Sorry. Ideally, I'd have grabbed a drink, spat into it, and mixed it up enough to make the taste undetectable, but I was in a hurry this morning, and didn't have time to prepare properly. Something to keep in mind when you pass it on to number ten, I guess. We should get this over with quickly, because it'll take a few hours for it to start working, and that's about how long you have until the entrance exams!"

Izuku sighed. "It'll make a good story to tell whoever number ten ends up being, at least," he said with a nervous smile, then took his future into his hands, and opened wide. "Bottoms up, I guess."

It tasted like shampoo and conditioner, and activated his gag reflex, but he would have a quirk in a few hours to go with his new abilities. Now, he just needed to get to U.A.

Several Hours Later, At The Entrance To U.A.

Izuku was in awe. The greatest hero school in the country, and he stood within its gates! Not only that…

The air was alive with the joys, hopes, and dreams of every applicant. It was all he could do to keep his blue aura from spreading further than the courtyard, but nobody seemed to complain much, since it boosted everybody's morale.

It's a good thing his head had been in the clouds, or this next encounter may not have happened. As he gazed up at the school in bliss, he tripped over a loose bit of brickwork, and started tumbling forward. He was in no danger at all, honestly, but he was surrounded by good people, and one of them did what heroes do.

A gentle slap to his cheek, not nearly enough to hurt, and he was floating without actively making himself do so. He turned his head to see who had made him levitate, and was awestruck by the smile on the girl next to him.

"Sorry about using my quirk on you like that, but you seemed to be in a really good mood, and I didn't want to let a little tumble get in the way of that!" she exclaimed, clearly feeling in a good mood as well. "My name's Uraraka Ochako! Nice to meet you!"

Izuku nodded. "Let me just right myself real quick," he said, using his own power to lower his feet to earth, even if his heart had made it into orbit with this interaction. He reached out his hand, and said, "My name is Midoriya Izuku. It's an honor to meet somebody so nice right off the bat. I bet you're gonna do well here!"

Ochako nodded, pressing all five fingers together with a quick mutter of "Release." Izuku felt weight return to him, and her hand made its way into his own, though she made a point to keep her pinky from making contact with him. "You're gonna do great here too, I bet! Boosting everybody's mood like that, and moving yourself in the air like you've got a Jedi hiding in the bushes keeping an eye on you, you must have some sort of esper quirk, don't you?"

Izuku blushed, sensing the admiration coming from the girl in front of him. "I mean, that's not all there is to it, but that's a big aspect of it. I can't really use this blue aura unless I'm happy, so it'd be useless in big disasters, but there are other parts of my power I can use whenever I feel like it, so-"

"**INCOMIIIIIIING!"** an explosive voice shouted, a certain ash blond dropping from the sky to the ground before them, a manic grin on his face as he looked over his new friend.

"Izuku! You keep proving me wrong! **I fucking like it!"** Katsuki exclaimed, and while Izuku could sense some hesitance in the boy's statement, he also sensed his sincerity and the joy coming from him independent from his aura. Taking a minute to study the physique of the greenette, the explosive hero wannabe managed to grin even further. "You've been training your body _and_ your quirk, huh? If we were to start wailing on each other without our quirks right now, I'm not sure I'd come out on top! FUCK YEAH!"

Katsuki reached his upward palm in the direction of the main school building, and closed his hand into a fist, as if grasping the school in his hand. "We're gonna absolutely murder the crap out of this exam! Don't hold back, got it?!"

And with that, the bombastic hero in training left as he arrived, flying with his quirk and his grin, laughing like their shared idol, but just a bit crazier.

Ochako blinked owlishly at the spot where Katsuki had just been, then looked at Izuku with the same expression. "Is he…"

Izuku chuckled awkwardly. "It took my quirk awakening to figure it out, but Kacchan is very complex. I try not to look into the hearts and minds of people when I can concentrate enough to prevent it, but I know enough about him now that he was hurting for a while, and he didn't deal with it properly. He's working really hard to make up for it now, but even with his rude language, he means well. In his own way, he's going to bring smiles to peoples' faces."

Ochako grinned. "Well, he's made quite a splash just then, hasn't he?" she replied enthusiastically, then added, "But we should probably get going. Good luck with the exam!"

Izuku nodded, and they made their way to an enormous auditorium. It took around fifteen minutes for everybody to find their assigned seat, but considering the amount of applicants, it showed that the school had streamlined the process well.

Not even two minutes later, the Voice Hero, Present Mic appeared in front of the crowd. "Good morning, listeners! We've got quite an event for you today!" he exclaimed, his radio show host persona coming through loud and clear. "Can I get a YEEEAAAH?!"

There was silence, and thankfully nobody with a sound altering quirk was rude enough to emulate cricket noises. The mumbling that came from one kid in particular was just a bit weird, but the pro kept on with his schtick despite the lack of response from his audience. "You'll all be sent to several of our training grounds, where you will do battle with fake villains! There are three types in total to keep an eye out for, worth one, two, and three points respectively! The idea is to grab enough points to make it in! But don't attack your fellow heroes-in-training! You'll be sent home faster than Ingenium gets from the front door of his agency to the coffee shop down the street!" the over the top hero explained.

"Excuse me!'

Present Mic looked over to the young man to raise his hand, interrupting his explanation. "What's your request, listener?" he asked, friendly as always.

"You say there are three types of villain bots, but on this pamphlet before me, I clearly see four! If this is an oversight on the part of U.A., it's a disgrace! Please be more diligent in the future!" the blue haired young man, incredibly serious and stern, exclaimed to the hero on stage, then turned to the right and continued, "Furthermore...You there! With the green hair and freckles! You've been muttering to yourself this whole time! Please pay proper attention. It's disrespectful to the heroes who have been here before us!"

Bakugou rose immediately, irritated as hell. "HE'S GOT ANXIETY ISSUES, YOU FOUR-EYED FUCK! LET HIM COPE!"

The four-eyed fuck in question, taken aback, apologized softly and returned to his seat, Katsuki doing the same, sans the apology. Mic was heard muttering, "Tough crowd," under his breath before returning to his explanation. "You are correct, listener! There are four types of robots you will come across. However, the final one on the list is worth zero points. It's meant to be an obstacle for you to avoid, as destroying it would only waste time! Now, get to your assigned buses, and get ready to work your butts off! Let's Go!"

Several Minutes Later, Outside One Of The Training Grounds

Izuku had mostly pulled himself together on the bus ride to the fake city he'd be taking the practical exam in. He and Katsuki had been sent to separate training grounds, likely due to coming from the same middle school. He didn't really know anybody here, but that nice girl, Ochako, was assigned here as well, so that was nice. She appeared to be nervous as well, so he started walking over to her.

However, on his way over, he bumped into that blue haired boy, who seemed to be lost in his own train of thought as well. Izuku would have been nervous, if he didn't sense the thoughts of the boy in front of him not being particularly bad. "Oh, I was just wondering about you. I wanted to apologize for singling you out there," the bespectacled young man explained, moving his arms as if he were part droid as he spoke. "Nervousness before a test like this can be horrible, and it was wrong of me to interrupt your mumblestorm, if that is, in fact, a coping mechanism you use. My name is Iida Tenya! It is good to make your acquaintance!" He extended a hand in greeting at this.

Izuku looked past him for a second, still worried about the girl he'd been about to approach before, but he saw her smiling at the two of them, clearly in a better mood than she'd been before, and so he brought his attention back to the young man in front of him, and shook his hand. "I'm Midoriya Izuku. Thanks for the apology, Iida. I get the feeling you didn't want to upset me as much as you almost did. You just seem to expect the best out of yourself and others, and that's not such a bad thing. No harm done, all right?"

The visually-impaired young man appeared startled for a moment. "Is it really that obvious? I had no idea I was wearing my emotions on my sleeves like that…" he wondered.

The ninth wielder of One for All shook his head. "No, part of my quirk is passive mind reading of people around me. I try to keep from hearing things I shouldn't, but typically things that are right at the surface are hard to ignore. And even if I heard something I shouldn't, I'm not about to just talk about it without the consent of the parties involved. You do give off the impression of somebody really serious, though. I would have probably figured it out without the quirk if I were to spend a few hours around you, but in this instance, it was the quirk that told me," he explained.

Tenya looked thoughtful for a moment, and was about to say something in response, but was interrupted by a screen lighting up, with Present Mic's face appearing on the display. "All right, listeners! Your test starts now!" The gates opened to the faux city, and a few examinees just stared blankly. "Did I stutter? There are no countdowns here! Get a move on!"

At this, anybody who hadn't headed in already was sprinting into the training ground. The exam had begun in earnest!

Izuku floated up to the top of a building, glowing bright green as he ascended, and kept an eye out for objects to arm himself with against his mechanical opponents. He did not have to wait long to find some. Several of the faux villains had floated up as well, a block over, and abruptly crashed back to the ground. He sensed the work of that bright girl who he'd met outside of the school, and decided to take advantage of the robot parts she'd left behind, grasping out with his power and pulling several of the leftover chunks to his location. Chunks of droid started orbiting around him, ready to act as either shield or projectile, and he floated off in search of targets. It didn't take long to accrue a decent amount of points, floating about and wrecking the machines in the area.

He wasn't here just to learn how to break robots, though. Anytime he saw a fellow hero-in-training about to be blindsided by the mechanical giants, he would take those protective feelings and raise a barrier between them and their opponent, keeping them from taking unnecessary damage, and giving them an opening to strike back at their own targets. It all went without a hitch, up until the ground trembled, and the zero pointer rose.

The fear of his fellow exam takers startled him enough that he dropped from the sky, barely stopping himself from crashing to the ground. He was about to run away, to get to safety, however…

He felt something he would eventually learn to recognize as fear for one's life, from somebody he needed to save.

It wasn't even a question of whether he should help or not. One second he was a ways away from the zero pointer, the next he was in its path, having unconsciously used One for All to sprint to the person feeling such horror, having destroyed his legs in the process.

"Oh no. Oh no."

She was hurt, some rubble having fallen onto her, and from what he could tell, she'd overused her quirk, and so she couldn't use it to get the debris off of her. She snapped her head in his direction upon hearing his arrival. "Wha-when did you get here, Midoriya?" she asked, clearly scared.

"I just footed it. I felt your terror, and the next thing I knew, I was here next to you. I think my legs destroyed themselves getting me here, though…" he explained, then got to work trying to lift the pieces of building off of her leg. He glowed green, the debris trapping her glowed green, but then why…

Oh…

Upon looking again, he realized that the debris had fallen in a way that while there was only one piece weighing her down, there were many, MANY pieces weighing that one piece down. "I can't lift it. No. No," he muttered, then floated himself closer to her, and placed a few of his green aura barriers in front of the zero pointer. They didn't break, however, they only slowed the machine. It was not stopped entirely.

Ochako started looking really worried. "Look, Izuku. You can get away, all right? Don't just stay here for me. It's just a test. It'll probably stop before it crushes me, okay? Please just get out of here," she said, trying to force calm into her tone.

Izuku had never been so touched by somebody lying to his face. "I'm not leaving, Uraraka. I can literally feel your terror as if it was my own right now. I'm staying, either until it stops, or until we're both crushed. Even if I got away, if it killed you, feeling your last moments like this would probably mess me up really badly." he told her, also working overtime to keep his voice sounding calm.

Ochako gazed at the boy in front of her. Took in the shape of his face, his bright green eyes, with the adoration and sincerity fluttering right behind them, the, admittedly cute, freckles upon each cheek, and the messy mop of green hair atop his head, and made a judgement call. "Izuku. I've...never dated or anything in my life, and, well, I don't even know if yer into girls, or if yer into _me,_ but, well, you've been really nice, and...if this is the end, can we...hold hands?" she asked, her accent coming out as she reached out to him, for possibly the last time.

Izuku nodded, tears brimming from his eyes. "Yes. Yes, Ochako. I would be very happy to hold your hand," he spoke tearfully, grasping her hand in his own, smiling despite his fear, like All Might taught him.

Ochako gave him a grin. "I'm really glad I met ya, Izuku. Sorry that I've gotta trick ya like this, though," Izuku hadn't even realized her ploy. She had activated her quirk on him the instant their hands had clasped. "Go be a hero, Izuku! But, do it someplace else! It's kinda dangerous 'round here!"

She threw him away from the zero pointer with all her might, resolving not to release her quirk until the titanic droid was right about to crush her. _"I hope I survive this. He seems like a really nice guy. Whatever happens now, though, at least he'll survive to be an awesome hero!"_ she thought to herself, though it was feeling more and more like the behemoth of a machine would not stop for her until the last minute. _"I'm glad I've already got a friend here. This thing's making me kinda nervous, though. Kinda wish I had a car nearby to chuck at it."_

"_Did you really mean all that?"_ a voice in her head that wasn't hers spoke, a familiar voice. Her eyes, which had been focused on the zero pointer to properly time the release of her quirk, focused on something new, as she turned her head to find Izuku Midoriya flying at the bot, green aura flying off of him like it was some kind of propulsion system, floating around and spreading to surround them both. He slammed into the titan of a machine palms first, pushing against it with all his might, then turned to her, and said with his voice this time, "Did you mean what you were thinking just now? That we're friends, and that I'd be an awesome hero?"

Ochako was a bit worried, now. Did he not think they were friends, or that he could be good at what he was doing right this second? "Well, yeah, we're friends! And the fact that you're slowing that thing down at all to save me kinda points to you going places with the whole hero thing someday, so I mean that as well!"

Izuku grinned at her, tears floating off of his face. "I'm glad! In fact…" Green became Blue. "I'm absolutely euphoric!"

The zero pointer had been gradually pushing against him and moving him back, but now, it was being pushed back, back, and...up! Izuku's blue aura exploded, flowing beyond the boundaries of the training ground, and even managing to invade portions of nearby training grounds. He and the zero pointer ascended skyward, further and further, until they separated, and Izuku started acting like a human bullet, making hole after hole in the machine, faster, faster, more and more! The zero pointer began resembling swiss cheese more than robot, and more and more pieces flew off, flying off in many directions, until Izuku cooled off, and floated back down with all the pieces of the behemoth, dropping them softly to the ground.

On that day, a hero gained his wings.


	3. Chapter 3

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

A/N: A big thank you to my editors, Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83!

_Chapter Three_

The Next Day, At Izuku's House

"_I'm glad you've made some good friends, little brother."_

Izuku woke with a start, feeling a longing for someone he couldn't remember, for some reason. As he woke further and further, he forgot more and more, and he was now confused at the tears leaking from his eyes.

He didn't have long to think about that, though, before he was bombarded by thoughts and feelings that weren't his. He'd gotten used to that, having this power for ten months now, but this was...different. More prominent. Not just that, however...It was two-way. He could tell that the person he'd connected to was sensing his thoughts and feelings as well, and was also confused and worried.

"_Ummm, I'm sorry? I don't know how this happened, Uraraka-san,"_ he attempted to convey to her.

"_Well, I was worried about you anyway, so I'm glad you're alright. You passed out right when you touched down from breaking that robot into pieces! Your legs were really messed up, so I'm not surprised you couldn't keep awake. Is this the first time you've woken up since the exam?"_ she responded, the concern bleeding into the words automatically.

"_Well, outside of being more tired than I'm used to being after sleeping as long as I did, I think I'm all right. Do you think we should meet up somewhere and try to figure this out?"_ the green-haired hero wannabe asked.

He _felt_ the smile through their link. _"That sounds like a great idea! Let's meet at your place. Your mom is so nice after...wait, how do I know that?!"_ as soon as she was finished conveying her thought processes, the dam that had apparently been there for a moment broke. Memories that weren't his, knowledge he'd never come across before, came pouring into his head.

It happened nearly instantly, but it felt like at least an hour of learning things about his new friend, from her point of view.

"_Oh no, are you okay?!"_ Izuku asked through the link. _"I just learned so much in half a second, and it freaked me out. Did the same thing happen to you? Do you need me to call an ambulance or anything? You weren't doing anything dangerous when it happened, but-"_

"_I'm fine! I'm okay. We need to meet up even more now, regardless. I'm pretty sure I came across at least one secret that isn't okay for me to know. Your mom really is nice, though, and I'm living alone in an apartment right now so I can go to U.A., so hanging out with two nice people would be a fun change of pace."_

Izuku sent a feeling of affirmation through the link. _"I'll tell my mom. She's been worried about my ability to make friends, so she'll probably be really happy that I've got a friend coming over,"_ he responded.

His heart fluttered when he felt her irritation at the idea that people didn't like him, and then it felt like it was being lightly squeezed when he felt her determination to help him out with those sorts of issues. The face he was making at the time was probably really ugly, so it was a relief that there wasn't a mirror nearby. Knowing that the two of them lived close enough that it wouldn't be hard for her to get here, he got up and started getting ready for the day, a flutter of joy in his heart. _'I'm having a friend over!'_

He emerged into the kitchen, where his mom had already started on breakfast. "Hey, Mom?" he asked nervously, despite knowing he had nothing to be nervous about in the back of his head. "So, I made a friend at the practical exam, and, well, this is kinda hard to explain, but we kinda...linked? We're in each other's heads, and we can't really get out, so I'd like to have them over. Mind if I help make another portion for them? They kinda got hungry when they realized how good breakfast smelled, and they haven't had any yet, so…"

Inko sighed. "I'm really glad I was right. I knew it didn't make sense that nobody at that old school wanted to be your friend. Is it that girl Recovery Girl told me about, who hung out outside the infirmary until she had to leave to get things done elsewhere?"

Izuku blinked, and asked out loud and over the link simultaneously, "Did you really do that?"

He could feel the embarrassment burning in his chest like it was his own. _"Y-yeah. You said a few things before you wrecked that bot that had me worried, so I wanted to stick around and see if things were all right."_

"_That's really nice of you! I'm really glad this link thing happened with somebody kind, and not somebody untrustworthy, though. I really dodged a bullet there!"_

And really, he did. If this link had attached to, say, a villain, it would be devastating. He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of his mother chuckling. "Izuku, sweety, just go out and meet your friend on the way here. You were mumbling what you were saying to her, so I know who it is now, at least. You're a real charmer, though. Not even in high school yet, and you're already bringing a girl over!"

Izuku turned fluorescent red, suddenly feeling his own embarrassment hit him like a truck. "O-okay! I-I'll see you in a bit, Mom!" he stammered.

"_Well, that was weird. I managed to get on the train while you were prepping for the day, so I'll just head over to your place, and when we're close, we'll walk back together. I'm glad I was right about your mom, though. She really is sweet,"_ the brunette conveyed, feelings of giddiness pushing through the link.

"_Yeah, I'll see you soon. We can probably get some training in if we hang out long enough. I know a pretty good place for that,"_ he responded, and headed out, waving to his mom before he shut the door.

The two focused on making their way to each other, which was made easier by the ability to sense where the other was. It was like getting closer and closer to a comfortable heat after a chilly day. It wasn't exactly like that, obviously, but that's the closest thing either could agree was an accurate analogy. Each of them was a beacon to the other when they focused, and at the moment, neither of them could see that as anything but a good thing.

Then they found themselves on the same street, and Izuku couldn't help but float himself over the morning traffic to be in front of her, smiling like he'd found the secret to world peace. His blue aura flung itself around the two of them, almost spreading out too much before he grasped and reigned it in, making it just an outline around him, not wanting to mess up anybody's ability to think by making them as happy as he was. He could tell some people were a bit irritated by his blatant disregard for quirk laws, but nobody seemed to be upset enough to call him out on it.

"I figured you were one of the good people I saw when I first awakened my quirk, but seeing it in person just feels so much better," he said, noting the tiny orb of sparkling light floating around within her, only visible now that the two of them were close.

Ochako furrowed her brows in thought. "What are you seeing when you look at me?" she asked, curious.

The glowing blue boy smiled. "A floaty light that just makes me happy looking at it. I saw a lot of them when my quirk first manifested. The world is full of good people, and I'm glad I got to see that," he explained, the two of them briefly seeing what he'd seen the day his power awakened.

The brunette gravity manipulator smirked. "Do you know what you look like to me?" she asked, looking forward to seeing his reaction.

Izuku tapped his index fingers together. "I mean, I could probably try to see through your eyes, but I don't want to do something like that without your permission or anything. Just the mind reading portion of this ability is a huge violation of the privacy of everybody around me, and I'm trying really hard to not pry at everything. Focusing on one person's thoughts could probably help, but I would only do that with their permission, so…"

His mumbling was interrupted by a gentle flick on his forehead. "Go ahead and look. I think it'll do you good to see what I see when I look at you," she responded with a gentle smile on her face.

Izuku nodded, and focused, seeing himself through the eyes of another. It was...enlightening, in more ways than one. "Why am I so bright?"

Ochako grinned. "Probably because you're such a nice guy!" she replied as if it should have been obvious. "It's a good thing I'm seeing it without my eyes. It's really weird seeing your body and aura thingy with my eyes, and seeing a supernova with my mind. At least, I think that's how I'm looking at you without going blind? It's really cool, but really weird!"

It was getting really hard to reign in the blue aura. She was wrong, obviously. He was a nice guy, but she was also incredibly nice, so the immense brightness he saw couldn't be due to that, otherwise looking at her would be similar. But it was so nice of her to just say that, like it was no big deal.

The greenette motioned with his hand in the direction back to his house. "Let's jog back. If you keep making me so happy, my quirk's gonna go all over the place, and that's gonna be weird to explain to people."

The two of them started on their way to the Midoriya residence with grins on their faces.

Half An Hour Later, In The Midoriya's Living Room

Ochako let out a satisfied noise. "Thank you so much for breakfast, Inko-san!" she exclaimed, having thoroughly enjoyed both the breakfast and the company that came with it.

Inko smiled. "Call me Inko-san! I'm really happy you enjoyed it. If you're ever feeling lonely in that apartment, feel free to come on over, all right? We'll have to exchange numbers before you go home today!" she responded, incredibly happy with the situation. Her son had made a nice friend, and she was such a nice kid, so Inko was very happy with the idea of her coming back soon. It didn't completely remove her bitter thoughts about how the students at Alderaan Middle School treated her baby boy, but this was a good start.

She was startled, though, when the mood dropped a bit, courtesy of Izuku's ability. "I-I'm sorry, I guess I had some dark thoughts for a second there."

"No, Inko-san. You're fine. I'm also bitter about that, even though I've just met him," she replied, then decided to try to think of something that would lift the mood. "So, Midoriya-kun, you do hero analysis, right? Aside from what you found out through the link, what all did you determine about my quirk?"

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows, concentrating to determine what information came before the link connected them so that he could give an honest answer. "Your quirk appears to affect the gravity of an object you touch with all five of your fingertips, and gives you a bit of telekinetic power over the object as well. Normally, I'd think it was just telekinetic control, but I remember the feeling my body had when you caught me with your quirk when we first met. I was either weightless, or close enough to being weightless that I couldn't perceive that I wasn't. You have a weight limit, after which point you need to release your hold on what you're influencing, or a time limit, after which point there would presumably be a cooldown…"

The brunette guest laughed with such joy, it got Izuku glowing blue again. "Wow, you're really observant! You got so much right in such a short amount of time! I'm shocked! But, no, I don't have any telekinetic power over what I use my quirk on. I just turn off the gravity of anything I touch with all five fingertips, and when I put my fingertips together, I return gravity to those things," she explained, then was about to continue on until she saw the startled look on Izuku's face.

It took only half a second for her to have his thoughts echoing through her own head. His anger at whoever diagnosed her quirk, his horror at putting the math together to find out what would happen if her quirk was only what she'd thought it was. His concern at what using it could do to her hand in such a scenario, and what it would have done to him the day before when she had used it on him.

Inko smiled fondly. "I think we've just learned something new about your quirk, Izuku. You're both glowing green right now, you know?" she informed the two teenagers. Sure enough, when the two of them checked, they were glowing green.

The gravity girl turned over to her new friend. "So, Midoriya-kun, blue comes from being happy. What makes green?" she asked with a bit of wonder in her eyes. The boy blushed bright red, not sure how to answer without embarrassing them both.

Thankfully, Inko was perfectly fine with teasing her son and his new friend. "It means he wants to keep you safe. The green power comes from a desire to protect somebody or something precious. He can make shields with it, and while those shields can be moved with enough force, we haven't found anything that can break them. He must feel really attached to you for both of you to be glowing like that!" she explained with a smile.

Izuku screamed internally, incredibly embarrassed. Ochako could now state with certainty that internal screaming actually sounded like screaming. She got second-hand whiplash when he turned to complain. "Mom, she's gonna be a hero! She doesn't need me to protect her like some fragile princess! Heck, she could probably throw me into orbit with her quirk if she actually wanted to! I don't think you appreciate how overpowered she's gonna be with proper training! Come to think of it, she's overpowered right now without training!" the green bean exclaimed, protesting the idea that his new friend needed protection like some kind of flower.

Inko smiled. "I know, Izuku, and I know you're smart enough to know that as well, but it doesn't change the fact that you care enough about her for that green power to show up when you're worried about something she said," she responded. The two teenagers blushed, knowing what this implied, but having their own separate issues coming to terms with it.

Clearing his throat, Izuku decided to get down to business. "Well, Mom, I think we should come clean...We've kinda had access to more than just each other's thoughts. We've seen a lot of each other's memories, and I need you to call All Might to get the situation properly explained," the greenette elaborated, poking his index fingers together in nervousness, then mumbled, "They're still flashing through our heads as we speak. It's kinda embarrassing."

Inko looked afraid for an instant, before schooling her features. "O-okay. I'll give him a call. I get the feeling he'll be busy, but all things considered, the subject matter will probably convince him to make some time to visit. On that note, would you mind if I spoke to Uraraka-san alone for a moment?" she requested, a bit of nervousness in her tone.

Izuku looked at her with a bit of confusion. "I mean, I can't exactly get out of her head. I don't know how alone either her or I can even be while this is going on," he explained, a bit concerned with how worried his mother seemed, along with a bit of...blurriness that was appearing in his quirk's ability to perceive things.

Inko sighed. "Please humor me, Izuku. I need to ask her something, and I don't know if I can bring myself to if you're in the room physically. I'm okay if you hear what I ask, but I don't think I could handle seeing the look on your face if what I say hurts you," she replied, sadness in her eyes.

The broccoli-haired hero frowned, a bit concerned, but decided to respect his mother's wishes, and went into his bedroom to work on one of his notebooks.

As soon as the two women heard the door click shut, Inko sagged in her seat. "I'm sorry to pressure you like this, but is there anything unusual about his early childhood that you've seen? Things that are extraordinarily abnormal? I have to know, because of certain things that went into how he was born. Could you please be honest with me?" the short mother asked the hero-in-training seated across from her.

Ochako had to think about it, if she was honest. It came to her after a moment or so. "I guess that his early childhood memories are incredibly clear? I can't remember my life from that early on for the life of me, but I can see memories from when you first held him, from what I can tell, after he'd been born. He's already somewhat confused that I don't remember that from when I was born, but, well, he's trying to stay out of the conversation so all I really know is that he's confused and his confusion is about that," she explained, a bit worried about the woman seated before her.

It was a testament to Izuku's restraint of his abilities that Ochako only knew the woman across from her was feeling guilty about something from the look of regret on her face. "I...Thank you, Ochako-san. And Izuku, I know you're paying attention. You care too much about me not to. I'm sorry I made you nervous, but...there are things from back then you probably aren't remembering correctly. I want to tell you so badly sometimes, but I'm scared that it would break you, so please try to keep from prying about it until you're a bit older, all right?" she explained. Not even a second later, she was glowing green, and the older woman could have sworn her son was hugging her from the other room, a small smile appearing on her face.

Izuku emerged from his bedroom, having been given the go ahead from his mom through his empathic abilities. "Well, the two of us are gonna brainstorm ways to separate our minds for a bit, but regardless of our success or lack thereof, I think we should get some training done in a few hours. Are you going to be alright if I leave for a while, Mom?" he asked.

Inko nodded. "I'll be alright. Toshinori-san should be here soon enough after I call him. I'll be in my room if you need anything," she replied, smiling despite the seriousness of what had just been discussed. "I'm so happy my son has brought home such a nice friend! Thank you so much for seeing my little boy for the amazing person he is. Now if only he could perceive himself in a more positive light!"

With a bit of a chuckle, she made her way to her bedroom, down the hall from Izuku's. While she was telling the truth about calling All Might, she was going to make another call first. Pulling her flip phone out of her pocket, she dialed the number of somebody who had helped her with Izuku a great deal more than she'd like to admit. "Hello, Doctor Chiyo? I'm incredibly sorry for calling at this early hour...No, he's fine. He's made a lovely friend, and the two of them are hanging out in the family room...Yes, it's the young lady who stuck around outside your office yesterday, but may I make a request? I...I'm probably going to be speaking with All Might soon, and I want to come clean about how Izuku was born, but I'm afraid of telling him myself. If you could tell him in my stead…? Yes, I know I don't need to let him know, but I _want_ him to know. He's become very dear to Izuku in the last few months, and if something ever happens to me, I want him to know so he can be ready to help, even if it's just with emotional things...Thank you. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day, Chiyo-san." Inko hung up, glad she could rely on Recovery Girl as much as she has all these years. Her next call would probably go to voicemail, but she was confident it would be heard soon. Her new friend was the kind of person who couldn't leave somebody who was hurting alone.

Hours Later, With Izuku And Ochako

The two young champions of peace had thought long and hard about this link they now had. They had come to several conclusions about their ability to remove it. One was that it might be possible, and two was that the only methods they could think of were unacceptable to either teen. They had no desire to try to force their friendship to end, and either of them knocking the other out for the sake of removing it felt incredibly unappealing as well, since there was no guarantee they wouldn't injure each other. For obvious reasons, death was also unacceptable, though it was the most likely way to solve the issue, if it could even be called an issue at this point. The two had decided calling it a link was too formal, and a method to make it feel clinical, so they instead decided it was a bond. It was practical evidence of their friendship, and while it wasn't tangible most of the time, having a friend in the back of the other's mind was becoming less and less of a big deal to them. They were capable of not sensing what the other was sensing at any given time, and they decided immediately that if either of them were to access the senses of the other, they'd get their consent first, to prevent any embarrassing mishaps, like seeing private things from their homes or other parts of their lives. The two had turned fluorescent red the few times the thought of seeing the other in the buff passed through their minds, and both were relieved to find that their new friend abhorred the idea of violating such a privacy as much as they did, despite each finding the other to be attractive.

Now, instead of trying to separate one another from their minds, they were going over costume ideas, with Inko putting in her two yen every once in a while. Then something Ochako hadn't thought of had been brought to her attention. "You've informed the people making it that you don't want it skintight, right?" Izuku asked, suddenly remembering a bit of hero trivia that he kinda wished didn't exist.

Ochako gave him a funny look. "No. Why? Should I have?" she asked, concerned.

Izuku groaned. "Many hero support engineers will make their clients' hero costumes skintight if the client doesn't tell them otherwise. You should probably have a skintight unitard beneath the main costume, for helping with your nausea, but I think over that, you should have some sort of impact-resistant armor, maybe looking a bit like Thirteen's, but easier to move around in. You're going to be doing a lot of floating around, and since we're all still learning, you'll probably also be doing a lot of falling, regardless of your quirk's abilities. It would be practical, and simultaneously it would show a bit more of the kind of person you are, what with Thirteen being your favorite hero. I suggest sticking with the helmet idea you have now, though, because I like the idea of being able to see your face through it, and I'm sure your future rescuees would be relieved to see it, too," he explained.

Ochako smiled. "That's sweet, Midoriya-kun. You're right, though. Being able to see my face would probably help a bit with making a victim feel safer. Your outfit idea is pretty neat, too, all things considered. I'm impressed you and your mom were able to come up with this on such short notice, too! You haven't even had your quirk for a year, and you've already thought up a way to adjust your costume accordingly. I really like the surprise feature you thought up, too! We might even be able to use it for combo attacks, now that I think about it! I do have one thought, though…" she replied, then grabbed one of Izuku's nearby Hero Analysis Books, and flipped to the page she knew was there despite having never touched the book in her life, "Your original costume idea is really nice, and your mom has gotten a lot of it done already, if you're remembering right. Maybe have it beneath the armor, so you can have something full of love close to you while you're on the job? I bet it would help with your powers, and I'm not gonna lie, I really wanna see what it looks like fer real!"

Izuku and Inko chuckled, liking that the brunette would revert back to her original accent when she was excited enough. It really felt nice that she seemed comfortable enough around the two of them to do that, and it made it easier for them to feel comfortable as well. They continued their pleasant conversation for a few more minutes before the doorbell rang. The younger of the two greenettes looked up for a moment, then said, "All Might's here, Mom. I'm going to get the door. You're gonna need any help in the kitchen?"

Inko smiled softly. "No, I'll be fine. Green tea isn't that hard to make. Weird coincidence that we all like it, but it makes preparing refreshments easier in this case," she responded, getting up to go to the kitchen, then calling back, "Ochako-san, you should probably greet him as well. I'm sure he'll be happier seeing two promising young heroes than one when he's let in."

The two made their way to the door, and opened it, All Might in his skinny form on the other side. Ochako knew about his condition, due to the shared memories, but she couldn't help but gasp lightly seeing it in person. The man was gaunt, and appeared to be under some stress, though it was a relief to find that Izuku also seemed surprised by how stressed he was, implying that he was typically in a better mood than this.

"Yagi-san, please come in," Izuku said kindly, letting the emaciated man into his home. After he'd gotten his outdoor shoes off, and put on his slippers, Izuku spoke with a bit less reservation. "All Might, is everything alright? You feel really sad right now, and I'm a bit worried. This didn't feel like something you'd be as upset at as you are about it."

The mightiest of heroes shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face. "No, young Midoriya. I've just learned something distressing recently, but it's not something you have to worry about. I'm happy to see you, young man," he replied, his sincerity coming through Izuku's empathy, along with a feeling of protectiveness and determination, then turned to Ochako and added, "You must be young Uraraka! It's very nice to meet such a promising future hero so early on in their career. I heard what you two pulled off in the exam through the grapevine, and I have to say, I'm really looking forward to seeing where the two of you will be in a few years!"

Izuku frowned in confusion. "I didn't think you'd be as stressed as you were a second ago, but this amount of levity is also surprising. Are you sure you're okay with her knowing as much as she does? I know we can trust her, but it seems weird that you're so sure of that as well," Izuku confessed, letting his two yen be heard.

Toshinori rolled his eyes. "Anybody who's seen what happened at the exam knows the two of you can be trusted to watch each other's backs. And I'm not long for retirement anyways. Give it a few months or years, and my quirk will be entirely passed on to you. It will be more your secret than mine soon regardless, and take it from me, having some close friends you can trust with it is nothing to take for granted. Now let's get over to the kitchen. I smell your mother's tea, and I could use some right about now," the number one hero explained, the three of them heading to the kitchen with a comfortable silence between them.

Once seated, the four of them took a few sips of their drink, enjoying the taste. Toshinori and Inko both had silly thoughts about the younger pair's names and the play on words that could be used with the drink they were all enjoying, but decided to try to keep those thoughts to themselves, knowing that the empath in the room was getting good at keeping from reading the conscious thoughts of those around him, and would probably sense their amusement and nothing more.

Once they were satisfied with what they'd had thus far and set their mugs down, Toshinori cleared his throat. "Well, I think we should get down to what little of the matter actually needs discussing. Young Uraraka here has learned things we'd wanted to keep to ourselves, and honestly, I'm okay with it. Young Midoriya also seems to be fine, so there's just one more piece of business, then I think we can just enjoy the rest of our tea and then get a bit of training in," All Might spoke, and nobody had any objections, so he decided to continue.

"Young Midoriya, I'm sorry to say this, but I've had time to think about it, and I must disagree with what you spoke of last time we were at Dagobah Beach. I understand that you wish to protect your mother from the secret of my quirk, but no matter how I look at it, I can't help but feel like it's a mistake. I did the same thing with my parents, and as far as I know, they had no idea what became of me when I vanished one day. It eats me up inside, knowing that they probably grieved at my sudden disappearance. I know it's not the same situation here, but she is your _mother,_ and if you can't trust her, who can you trust?"

Inko looked between the two of them, a worried expression on her face as she brought her hands up in a placating gesture. "Now, now, you two. I don't know what you're talking about, but there's really no reason that I need to know about Yagi-san's quirk," she said, trying to reduce the bit of tension in the air.

Izuku looked into his tea, a look of guilt reflecting back at him. "You're wrong, Mom. There is a reason. I was wrong, too. It would be horrible of me to keep this from you, because it's not going to be his quirk for much longer," he confessed softly, then turned to his mother and explained, "All Might's quirk is one that gets passed from user to user. He...he chose me to inherit it, and I accepted. I'm the ninth holder of One for All."

Inko shut her eyes, a bit of stress showing on her face, then took a few deep breaths and responded. "Y-you're right. Thank you for telling me. I'm...I'm glad my son means that much to you, Yagi-san. I doubt it's something you decided to give him without any sort of thought. Thank you for insisting on telling me, though. Izuku probably would have tried to keep it a secret forever if you hadn't convinced him otherwise. He cares so much about me, and it sometimes ends up hurting us both, though I guess the secrets I keep from him might do the same someday…" she responded, then took another sip of her tea.

The only blond in the room nodded. "Your son is an inspiring young man, Midoriya-san. He'll definitely surpass me someday. There's more I need to tell you all, but that was way too much stress for me just now, so I'll have to suggest we talk more on the subject later in the week. Let's just finish our tea, and then the four of us can go out, and get these two youngsters trained up a bit," he said, finishing with a smile.

Izuku, Ochako, and Inko all smiled back, very much okay with the idea of getting some exercise in, and went back to their tea.


	4. Chapter 4

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Four_

Author's Note: Thank you to my two editors, Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83. They are hilarious, and you will quote everything they say.

Time Passed, And It's The First Day At U.A.

Izuku grinned, rising from his bed. It was only months of practice and his focus to keep from causing problems for his mom that prevented him from flooding the house with his blue aura. Learning that he'd gotten first place, just a few points ahead of Katsuki, had filled him with immense joy. His happiness was only amplified by his discovery that helping Ochako had added a decent chunk to his score, with her also receiving a nice boost to her score when she had 'sacrificed' herself for him. They'd both been informed that they were correct to behave as if there was an actual threat, even though in this case, several pros had been in each of the training centers in case anything went wrong, as they do every year. Ochako had managed to get third with her actions, making both young heroes swell with pride at their high placements.

All Might had come to visit them again later that week, to tell them all about the threat of his greatest foe, All for One, along with what he knew of the origins of One for All, keeping his promise to Inko, Izuku, and Ochako to be transparent with his knowledge of what they were getting into. And speaking of Ochako, Izuku's new friend had made herself a regular at the Midoriya residence, enjoying spending time with the two verdettes, though she made sure to pull her own weight, not liking the idea of the two of them inviting her over for meals and whatnot without her giving back.

The two of them had gained some new tricks with their powers, having trained with Ochako's quirk, and Izuku's more mysterious abilities. They'd tried to incorporate One for All, but Izuku quickly found that it was dangerous to use it at this point, the two of them deciding that he should strengthen his body further before he began throwing smashes around.

Getting back to today, though, the bean sprout of a hero-in-training had gotten through the motions of preparing for the day, and was putting his bright red shoes on, about to leave, when his mom stopped him, a sad smile on her face. Izuku turned to face her. "What's up, Mom?"

The small woman sighed, then pulled gently at Izuku with her quirk, the young man going to her and giving her a hug. "I'll be alright, Mom. Thanks for the hug," he said, a smile on his face as he closed his eyes to better enjoy the feeling of his mom's hug combined with the love and pride she felt towards him.

She chuckled a bit, then gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. "I just want you to know how proud I am of you, and that, even if you somehow don't manage to do well, you'll always be a hero to me. I'm sure Ochako-san and Yagi-san feel the same," she said, tearing up a bit.

Izuku nodded against her shoulder. "I know, Mom. Thanks so much for always being here for me," he replied, tearing up a bit himself.

The two parted ways, Izuku noting that Ochako was going to be getting there a little later than him, so he resolved to get a bird's eye view of the school once he was on the grounds, wanting an opportunity to properly fly around, as he hadn't been able to do that as high as he'd have liked while training with Ochako and All Might. As long as he didn't leave the school grounds, he wouldn't be breaking any quirk-based laws, even though they technically didn't apply to his abilities outside of One for All.

Yeah, he was really looking forward to today.

Later, At U.A.'s Campus

Izuku gazed in awe at the main school building. Sure, he'd seen it twice before now, but it was still hard for him to believe, some disbelieving part of his mind telling him there was no way he was really here.

The people around him walked past, their own joy at being here singing out to him, the few grumpier individuals not irate enough to even try to combat the waves of euphoria washing over the student body. He held out his hand, and grasped, mimicking Katsuki from the day of the entrance exam, and bringing out his own joy in an azure aura, floating up to a respectable height before shooting off like a rocket, simply enjoying the feeling of freedom that overcame him with the ability to fly. He flitted about, changing direction whenever he felt like it, zipping around in the sky above the school without a real care in the world. Then, with a bit of mischief in his eyes, he decided to do something a bit more fun.

Making some mental calculations, the blue blur flew in very specific patterns, leaving behind larger clouds of blue aura in certain places, until he was satisfied with his work. He shot back down to the ground a bit in front of the main building, slowing down as he got closer, before he landed gently in the courtyard. Izuku grinned, pulled out his phone, and aimed it skyward, taking a photo of the bright blue Plus Ultra he'd placed in the sky above, silently grateful that the blue of his aura was different enough from the blue of the sky that his 'writing' was readable. Satisfied with how the picture turned out, he shut his phone down and headed inside, making his way to 1-A.

It only took a few minutes, and a single request for directions, to find the room he sought out. The door was quite large, reminding Izuku that some heroes were bigger than others, what with gigantification quirks and whatnot. He opened the door to find several of his classmates had already arrived, with two familiar heroes-in-training bickering back and forth.

"Take your feet off the desk! It's incredibly disrespectful to this fine establishment, along with our upperclassmen who once made use of it!" Tenya Iida shouted, his arms swinging robotically as he made his case known.

"HUUUHHH?! It's just a desk, Four-eyes! It doesn't have feelings, and as for our upperclassmen, I hope they aren't fucking weak enough that the abuse of a DESK, of all things, would be enough to bother them!" Katsuki Bakugo retorted, bringing up a palm as if he were about to light it up, but refraining from actually activating his quirk, before the two of them seemed to realize Izuku was at the door, and they forgot their argument momentarily, grins appearing on their faces, a friendly one on Tenya's, and a manic one on Katsuki's.

Izuku just chuckled. "I see you've met each other. Iida-san, I'm sorry about Kacchan. He's rough around the edges, but he's a nice person when you've gotten past all the layers of anger and nitroglycerin sweat. And Kacchan, please try not to get too upset with Iida-san. He's a nice person, too, just a bit uptight," the greenette explained, mentioning their names just in case they hadn't actually gotten around to introducing themselves yet.

Katsuki groaned in a show of irritation, but made a point to remove his feet from atop his desk. His mood turned around once more, and he exclaimed, "Great job turning that bot into swiss cheese! I bet they still haven't disposed of all the pieces yet!"

Tenya nodded in agreement. "Yes, that was impressive. That blue aura of yours was incredibly uplifting as well! I'm sure you'll be great for morale in the hero industry, even without the massive power you put into your attack!" he added, recalling the joy he felt upon coming into contact with the aura in question.

A red-haired student approached, a grin on his face as well. "Wait, that blue badass was you? That was really manly of you, showing that thing who's boss! My name's Kirishima Eijiro! Nice to meet you!" he said, then made a fist with his right hand, said fist turning into some sort of rock-like substance in an instant. "My quirk, Hardening, isn't as flashy as whatever you've got, but it gets the job done."

Izuku nodded, already jotting down notes in a notebook he telekinetically pulled from his backpack. "Incredible! Depending on how hard you can make yourself, and how much of your body can be hard at once, there are a lot of practical applications for your quirk! I can already see how you got in. Those robots must have come apart like paper when you hit them!" he exclaimed, then decided to reciprocate, even if it wasn't the whole truth. "My quirk is Mind and Body. I've got esper-like abilities, and my body can become really strong in a pinch. I'm a lot better with the Mind portion, though. Last time I tried to use Body, I ruined my legs running to help somebody in the entrance exam…"

Izuku would have continued, if not for something he noticed out of the corner of his eye. A pink-skinned girl, and a large boy with the face of a golem and a shy smile, were signing to one another. It seemed like he'd teleported, how quickly Izuku made his way to them.

'You two know sign?' Izuku signed, a hopeful smile on his face, wanting more people to practice with. The pink-skinned girl grinned with a giggle, and the small golem waved nervously, a smile on his face as well, introducing themselves in sign.

'I'm Ashido Mina! I only learned to sign a few years ago, but it's really come in handy! This guy here, though, he's known how to sign for almost as long as he's known how to talk!' the happy horned girl said, gesturing to the other boy to say hello as well.

The boy grinned shyly. 'I'm Koda Koji. Nice to meet you. I hope we can be friends!' he said with a blush.

Izuku nodded, introducing himself as well. 'I'm Midoriya Izuku! I started learning sign when I was around six, maybe seven. I don't recall at the moment. I'm really glad I'm not the only one in the class who's learned sign!' he said with a grin, blue aura surrounding him like the corona of a star.

Without any of them noticing, Katsuki had made his way over. "Izuku, are you signing? When did you learn to do that?" he asked, startling Izuku momentarily, he turned to face his friend.

"Well, your quirk is Explosion, and I wasn't sure whether or not it would affect your hearing, what with your hands being as close to your head as they are, so I started learning as soon as I got the idea in my head that you might have hearing issues someday," the greenette replied shyly, both vocally and in sign.

Katsuki turned away abruptly, not trusting himself to be able to hide the tear coming out of his eye. Eijiro looked at the ash-blond in concern. "Are you crying, dude? You okay?" the hardest of walls asked.

"I'm not crying! Just got some stupid fucking dust in my eye!" Katsuki replied, sparking his quirk up a bit to try to be intimidating.

A bluenette in the back of the room with really long earlobes moved her hands to where Izuku could see, and signed with a grin, 'He's totally crying. You made his day, dude.'

Izuku nodded with a thumbs up, then got up to get the door for Ochako, who had just made it to the hallway, and would make it to the door just as he opened it. Ochako walked in, completely unsurprised by Izuku opening the door for her, and the two of them walked over to Katsuki and Tenya, not realizing the weirdness of what just happened.

A blond boy with a streak of black through his hair commented, "Did he just predict that she would be there, and get the door for her?"

A girl with strangely shaped eyes and large hands and feet added, "It looked like she was expecting it just as much, kero."

Tenya and Katsuki blinked, looking between the two in a bit of surprise. "Did...something happen between the exam and today between you two?" Tenya asked, breaking the silence first.

Izuku abruptly turned bright red in embarrassment, and Ochako patted his back, deciding to tell them for him. "From what we can tell, when we saved each other in the exam, we made some kind of psychic bond. It takes a bit of effort to keep from reading each other's thoughts, and feelings just flow between our heads freely, since we can't keep those to ourselves just yet. We're able to access each other's senses, but we've both decided not to do that without the other's consent for obvious reasons. Also, we've kinda seen each other's memories in their entirety…"

The greenette spoke up a bit, not looking up from the floor. "It's honestly a bit concerning. I'm just lucky it happened with somebody nice like Uraraka-san. If it had happened with a villain, or some random person in the street, it would have been really bad," he explained, adding his own thoughts.

Ochako nodded. "And I'm lucky he's not a pervert or something. His mom did a really good job raising him, that's for sure," she added, her permanent blush turning brighter momentarily.

A yellow caterpillar at the head of the room coughed loudly. Everybody who had been standing made their way to the nearest seat. The caterpillar unzipped itself to reveal an insomniac in a sleeping bag. "You are all morons. I was standing here for five whole seconds before revealing myself to you, then you took six seconds to seat yourselves. Your situational awareness and reaction time were crap," the man said, and as a classmate who had been sleeping woke up, Izuku's veins felt like they were filled with ice at the horrifying feelings and thoughts coming off of this person. Everybody in the room felt a bit colder from it, and Ochako felt like her feet had been dipped in a cold pool.

The man sighed. "My name is Aizawa Shota, and I'm your homeroom teacher. Call me Aizawa-sensei. And as that aura of sad bullcrap just reminded me, Midoriya, you've got legal stuff you've gotta tell your classmates," he explained, and Izuku could sense the man's tiredness with everything.

The green-eyed boy walked nervously to the front of the class, rehearsing what he had to say in his head as he went. He looked at the class before him, and told them, "I'm legally obligated to tell you that my quirk involves passive mind reading. I don't have full control over it, and I apologize in advance if I 'hear' anything I'm not meant to. I will keep it to myself if I do, and if it's something you want to talk about, but are having difficulty vocalizing it, you can ask me to try to help by thinking it loudly at me. I'll find a teacher of your choosing and set up a meeting to discuss whatever issue it is."

Shota sighed, and put a hand on Izuku's shoulder. "You did alright. Don't sit down yet, we're all going out to the field," he said, then pulled a bunch of clear packages with gym uniforms in them out of the depths of his sleeping bag, and announced, "Everybody put these on. We're doing some tests."

Out Behind The Main U.A. Building

Each of the students had gathered in the field, waiting for Aizawa's instructions. Some of them wondered aloud about orientation and other things, but their teacher threw those ideas out the window pretty quickly.

"We're gonna be doing standardized fitness tests, with one big exception. Bakugo Katsuki, you scored highest in the practical exam for villain points. How far could you toss a softball in middle school?" the shady-looking teacher asked blandly.

Katsuki arched an eyebrow and responded, "Thirty meters. Why?"

Aizawa rolled his eyes, and tossed a softball to Katsuki, which he caught with ease. "Do it again, but with your quirk this time."

With the look on Katsuki's face, one would think he'd just been told he'd won the lottery. He made his way to the circle Aizawa directed him to, and pulled his arm back, ready to let the ball and some pent up feelings rip.

"**FUCK OOOOFFFFFFFF!" **he roared as he blasted the softball off into the distance like it was Team Rocket and he was a Pikachu.

A moment later, a device on Aizawa's belt beeped, and he picked it up and read off the numbers. "Seven hundred and five meters. Not a bad score," he reported, turning the device towards the class to show them all.

Mina, upon realizing what was going on, gave out a cheer. "We can use our quirks! This is the best!" she exclaimed.

The rest of the class started getting excited, anticipating better scores than they've ever gotten before, several of them laughing to themselves, before their teacher cleared his throat and threw that joy out the window like an angry child with a toy they didn't want but got anyway.

"You think this is fun? A game? Fine, then. Whoever comes in last will be deemed as having zero potential, and will be expelled on the spot," he announced, irritation obvious in his voice.

Ochako was very upset with this, as Izuku could tell with ease. "That's not fair! We all just got here!" she shouted indignantly, hands clenching in fists at her sides.

The sleepy teacher countered with cold logic. "Life isn't fair. You think natural disasters, villains, or even just normal criminals will wait for you to be ready? You're training to be heroes. It's supposed to be your job to take that unfairness and fix it. Now, each of you get started."

The mood dropped for half an instant, before it felt like it lifted from almost everybody, Izuku doing his damndest to keep it within himself to protect his classmates. Ochako made her way over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, pinky up for obvious reasons. "He's kidding, right, Izuku?" she asked nervously.

Keeping his voice low, Izuku responded. "I sensed several feelings going through his mind when he said that. Deceit wasn't one of them. He fully intends to send the weakest of us away," he answered, a frightened look in his eyes. He wasn't afraid for himself, Ochako, or Katsuki, but he simply had no way to know how anybody else would do, and at this point, he didn't want any of his classmates to disappear. He wants to make more friends, damnit!

The tests went as one would expect, with some students scoring better in some areas than others. Tenya scored incredibly well in the fifty meter dash, and Ochako dominated nearly anything that allowed her to take advantage of her newly learned abilities. Learning that Zero Gravity wasn't what she'd believed it to be all these years had allowed her to learn new ways to use her quirk very quickly. She was trying to come up with a new name for it, and thus far, Force Manipulation was winning out. The ability to fall down the fifty-meter dash line gave her an easy second place.

Then there were some results that came out of nowhere. A boy with dwarfism and purple orbs for hair came in first for the repeated side steps by far, and a giant of a man with six arms got an absolutely stunning score for the grip strength test, being able to use three hands on the device instead of one. A tall girl with a very fluffy ponytail pulled an electric scooter from somewhere when nobody was looking, and tied with Izuku for first in the distance running, since it would be counterproductive to keep going when they were the only two left for a while and neither were running out of steam. Being able to just float over the course without stomach issues certainly helped here.

Finally, it was time for the class to do the final test, the ball throw. Katsuki had already gone, so he was exempted from going again. Ochako made Izuku well with joy upon getting infinity as a score, throwing the ball with her quirk and sending it into orbit. The girl with the ponytail made a cannon emerge from her stomach, and fired the ball out, getting a score of over a kilometer! Almost everybody had nice scores, except for the boy with purple orb hair, who was looking like he'd be going home. Izuku had to distract himself hard to prevent his green aura from surrounding the boy. It probably wouldn't help him, sadly.

Soon enough, it was the greenette's turn. He turned to Aizawa, and asked a question. "So, I can't leave the circle, but can I move the ball from the circle prior to my throw?"

Aizawa nodded. "Yeah, you can move the ball outside of the circle outside of the actual pitch. You are the only thing that can't leave it," he answered.

Izuku looked down at the ball in his hand, and decided to ask one more question. "Do you think you could _not_ expel whoever comes in last?" he asked nervously.

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Just throw the ball. I don't have all day," he responded irritably. All Izuku felt upon his response was an increase in the man's conviction to do what he had already decided. The greenette frowned, gazing down at the ball again, then thought of what he wanted to protect.

His mom came to mind immediately, then Ochako seconds after. Katsuki didn't take long to pop in his mind, with All Might following shortly after. Tenya, Koji, Mina, and all of Class 1-A, several of whom he hadn't been introduced to yet, filled his heart. Even Aizawa was there, having not truly done anything horrible yet.

Izuku's green aura began billowing off of him in waves, making his class feel a bit safer for some reason, despite not being in danger in the first place. He held his hand out, palm up, and the ball rose slowly, then started to go back, in the opposite direction of where it was meant to be thrown. It moved back quite a ways, making a few classmates wonder what he was doing.

"Isn't it obvious, you dumbasses? He's winding up for the pitch," Katsuki answered, growling at the fact that Izuku was glowing green and not blue. His score would be affected by this.

Seconds after that, the ball stopped moving back, and was shot forward, launching into the sky at speed. Aizawa's device beeped shortly after, and he announced, "Seven hundred and three meters."

It took all of Katsuki Bakugou's restraint not to rip the device from his teacher's hands and blow it to bits. Izuku could have done so much better, if he weren't so _afraid_. He wanted so badly to erupt, to scream his fury at the man for his mind games, but Izuku was actively trying to calm him down, trying to placate him via telepathy, and he knew his explosion wouldn't help him.

The final few students threw for the test, and the scores were tallied up. The small boy with the grape hair was giving off feelings of despair, and before Aizawa could even say anything, Izuku put himself between the two, a wall of green aura forming between Izuku and the other boy. Anybody looking at Izuku could tell he was absolutely peeved. Shota Aizawa sighed, and activated his quirk, not wanting to deal with whatever crap the kid was doing. He nearly gasped in surprise when nothing changed, meaning that either this quirk that was clearly an emitter type was actually a mutation type, or…

"_That's not actually a quirk, is it? I guess it's a good thing he ended up here, then. He'll need the help,"_ Shota thought to himself, then sighed and explained, "Nobody's going home. It was a logical ruse, kid. You don't need to protect Mineta from me, all right?"

The relief Izuku felt was palpable. It was kind of obvious to everybody that he had little control over his power, since instances like this happened. The boy behind him patted his shoulder, and walked away with a thank you as Izuku sat there, having dropped when the tension did.

Then Katsuki decided to do Katsuki things. "Hey, Teach. Give Izuku a second shot at the ball throw," he said, trying his damndest not to scream at his new teacher.

Shota Aizawa groaned. "If you can sufficiently explain why I should do that, maybe I will," he said, humoring the punk.

The ash-blond grinned. "If you want accurate scoring, then Izuku needs to be in a good mood. You upset him with your fucking mind games, so he had to rely on his green aura. If he's happy, he goes blue, and that shit's fucking insane," he replied, his eyes burning with passion as he spoke.

Shota sighed, and fished an extra ball from his bag, tossing it to Izuku. "You'd better hope your power output is different enough for this to matter, kid," he said grumpily, a bit of a smirk on his face as he pulled the measuring device back off his belt.

Izuku walked over to the circle, but didn't turn to face where he'd be tossing the ball. He looked instead to his class, thoughts of friendships that already were, and friendships yet to be alight in his heart. His blue aura flared out like a fire, filling the class with joy as well, and making them very aware of the fact that _they_ were the ones giving him such elation. Pretty much everybody decided that day that they didn't want to make this cinnamon roll sad, _ever._

Without turning away from his classmates, the ball was suddenly just _gone._ A loud noise, like a cross between a twang and a gunshot, erupted from where he was, and a streak of blue was suddenly stretching out from his position to where the ball had gone. Seconds later, everybody's awe was interrupted by a low whistle from their teacher.

"I was not expecting to have TWO students score an infinity today," he said with a grin, holding the device up for the class to see, the infinity symbol having appeared upon it a second time today. Pretty much everybody cheered at this, happy that this sweet boy was able to get such an amazing score. "Get back to class, everybody. The rest of the class is a free period. I'm in a good mood, so as long as you aren't too loud, I'm gonna just let you socialize a bit."

The kids did just that, letting themselves just be kids for a while, with naught but one exception, a boy who needed saving, despite being as surrounded by heroes as he was.


	5. Chapter 5

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Five_

A/N: Thanks again to my editors, Penguin Lord 0029 and nightwind83. They are paragons of awesomeness.

"Normal speech."

"**Buff Might speech."**

'Sign language.'

'_Thoughts without intent to convey feelings and ideas. Some will be conveyed unintentionally. Some will not.'_

"_Telepathy, or thought with intent to convey ideas and feelings."_

Evening After The First Day

Minoru fucked up. He fucked up hard. He got into U.A. alright, but there was a bloody mind reader in the class. The guy must be REALLY good at preventing himself from reading the minds of his classmates, or he's got some crazy method to get around the issues that would come from a passive mind reading quirk, or he'd have definitely gotten the purple gremlin in trouble already. However, Minoru drew attention to himself. The attention of said mind-reader.

No matter how good Izuku Midoriya was at preventing himself from reading minds, it would only be a matter of time before his less than heroic thoughts got him booted, so drastic measures would have to be made to make this entire endeavor worthwhile. As he gazed upon the normal-looking phone, carrying an incredibly small, removable camera within, he perverted the idea of Plus Ultra, panicky thoughts preventing intelligent decision-making.

Second Day Of School

Izuku was pumped for class today. Katsuki, Ochako, and even Tenya were excited as well, though only the former three were obvious about it, Tenya seemingly always high-strung. However, this was a bit of an issue. Two days in a row of being as incredibly happy as he was meant that he would probably need to use his emergency hall pass sooner than he'd hoped. He gave Ochako and Katsuki express permission to explain how he contained his mind reading abilities at the moment, along with what made his 'walls' come down more quickly.

The class they were taking at the moment was a newer one, having only come into existence in hero schools within the last decade. Villain History and Psychology. It was typically taught by members of the Police force, or reformed villains, who had decided to become heroes after deciding a life of crime wasn't for them. It was decided at some point that knowing your enemy was an incredibly useful asset for a hero, to better prepare for their future careers. As there weren't many villains who turned a new leaf in the past decade, There were less than ten hero schools in the country that had a reformed villain teaching the class.

U.A. was fortunate enough to have TWO such reformed villains. A pair who had performed mostly harmless crimes, and were known for their...uniqueness.

Gentleman and Lady Love were an odd couple, one being abnormally tall and the other being incredibly short, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. The two were incredibly flamboyant, deciding to continue wearing the outfits they'd worn as villains, so that they could never forget their crimes, as well as to inspire other villains to denounce their villainy, showing that redemption was not impossible. Gentleman made a habit of chewing the scenery, as those in various fandoms would call it, but dang, was he good at it, and Lady Love was a one trick pony, but it was a DAMN good trick when used correctly.

Izuku was very interested to learn from the reformed husband-wife duo. Speaking of which…

"My dear view- I mean, students! Apologies, I finished recording some footage before I got here. I might take a moment to adjust completely. Welcome to Villain History and Psychology, where you will learn to get in the heads of your foes, and hopefully stop them before their schemes can even begin! I am the Reformed Hero, Gentleman! My wife, Lady Love, will be with us soon. She is preparing some interesting lesson material at the moment, but you needn't worry. She has never let me down before, and I'm certain you will all be able to say the same when you've all graduated," the older-looking man said, pouring a cup of tea as he stood, a relaxing blend to help with the stresses of teaching.

Izuku was vibrating in his seat. He'd heard the story of Gentleman, and honestly empathised with him a bit. After all, he'd started off as a hero student, and an act of heroism that went wrong ruined his chances of continuing down that path for a time. Izuku knew very well that, in some alternate timeline, he fell to the pressure of an unattainable dream and bullying, and turned to villainy, so to see that somebody who had done that was able to turn their life around reinforced his faith in humanity many times over upon learning of the fate of the villains Gentle Criminal and La Brava.

However… _'Oh, crud! My time's almost up now?! I was really looking forward to this, but I can't miss Heroics Class no matter what today!'_ he thought in a panic, and raised his hand, conveying urgency into Gentleman's mind.

"Oh? Izuku Midoriya, what seems to be the issue? You seem incredibly nervous, young man," Gentleman queried, a look of concern on his face.

"Um, well, I need that emergency hall pass. I've been really excited the last day or so, and seeing you in person combined with the anticipation of Heroics Class later-" Izuku yammered, going into a mumblestorm in his nervousness before Gentleman held up a hand to halt his rambling.

"Say no more, young man. It's unfortunate you'll miss my first class, but I understand that needs must, and Heroics will always be more important than my class to a prospective hero. Take your pass and find someplace nice and quiet. I would suggest one of the forests closer to the U.A. Barrier. If you get the right spot, there will be enough animals to focus on, to help cool down quicker," the third newest teacher at U.A. offered, walking to the door to meet Izuku on the way. The young greenette took the pass, and sped off in a flash of blue light.

Walking back to his desk, Gentleman noticed quickly that he'd unintentionally used wording that seemed to simultaneously reveal too much and too little. Probably shouldn't have mentioned the animals out loud. "Oh, dear, I appear to have caused that young man trouble. Young Uraraka, could you explain the situation to young Midoriya, and ask if I can quell the nerves of your classmates?"

Ochako sighed. "I've already told him. I'll just explain it, since he's already said either Katsuki or I can explain in full if he needs somebody to while he's not around. He's basically got a time limit of sorts for how long he can restrain his ability to read the minds of others, and being happy makes that time limit shorten a _lot._ He's really excited to be here, so he's been happy non-stop for a while, and his time limit has gone by a lot quicker. He's basically gonna look for a place that's got no people, and if there are any animals intelligent enough to have coherent thoughts and feelings to listen to in the area, it takes even less time to 'recharge', so to speak. He was really proud that he only really heard the thoughts of one of you yesterday, and it was for half an instant, so this method seems to be working well for now," the brunette explained, then sat down, giving Izuku a status update, since it seems nobody's upset anymore. That seemed to cheer him up. Now they could get back to the lesson…

"Gentle!" a voice shouted from a cabinet in the back, before Lady Love emerged, laptop in hand with an upset look on her face. "A suspicious file tried to upload from a device in this room!"

Several students appeared confused. They knew Lady Love was on the shorter side, but to hide in a cabinet for as long as she had...wait, why was she in there in the first place?

Gentleman was about to attempt to diffuse the situation, before a small purple blur bounced from his seat to the window, leaping out and tossing purple balls to the ground to continue his escape. The Reformed Hero sighed, and after pressing a few buttons on his watch, asked, "What was so suspicious about the file? Why is my student fleeing as if he's committed a crime?"

Lady Love scowled. "It's called 4, and I only watched a few seconds...He's got a recording of students from a very rude angle! He's fleeing as if he's committed a crime because he _has_ committed a crime!" she exclaimed angrily.

Gentleman pinched the bridge of his nose, then checked his watch. "Oh, good. Our quirk suppressors have been deactivated. I'm reinforcing the Barrier now. Lady Love, let's go stretch our muscles a bit and catch this uncouth youngster," 1-A's current sensei said, a frown in place of his normally happy expression.

Katsuki laughed maniacally, pointing out the window. "Oh, man, that purple gremlin fuck screwed up _hard!"_

Upon hearing this, everybody looked out the window to a mildly horrifying sight. Minoru had apparently picked the same area Izuku had gone as his escape route, and the greenette had caught him, holding him with his green aura, a shoe held on Izuku's opposite side, noticeably being kept away from the gremlin. It would have been only a little scary, if not for the fact that they were floating ominously towards the classroom. That made it significantly more intimidating.

Then Izuku ruined the intimidating look by poking his head through the window at an awkward angle, floating the shoe in after. "Where do you want me to put him? He left the main body of the phone in his desk in a panic, and the camera is in his shoe," he asked, floating the shoe over to the desk in front of the room for safekeeping.

As this was happening, Denki whispered over to Kyouka, "How did the cinnamon roll turn into a sith lord and back again so quickly?" Kyouka's response was to smack him with one of her jacks, the blond getting close enough in his excitement to make her nervous, a blush dusting her cheeks.

Just then, Aizawa burst into the room, looked around to assess the situation, and relaxed a bit. "Okay, why are two problem children floating outside the classroom and not at their desks?" he asked grumpily.

Tenya went from sitting to standing up straight in maybe half a second, arms robotting around as he reported the situation. "Aizawa-sensei, Mineta-san has recorded an illicit video, and he nearly-"

Gentleman tapped his cane to the floor loudly, interrupting Tenya's explanation. "Young Iida, your enthusiasm is appreciated, and it is a quality sought out in heroes, but now is not the time. Good job regardless. I will take it from here. Lady Love, the class is yours. I will meet young Midoriya outside with Shota-kun here, and we will take care of Mineta-san. I am very sorry your lesson plan was ruined by today's events. Maybe in a few months we can try it again," the dashing hero said, apologizing to his wife and partner before heading downstairs to meet Izuku outside.

Lady Love sighed, and walked over to the desk at the front of the classroom, leaping on top of it and sitting in a comfy spot she and Gentleman had set up for when she lectures. Her shortness made the standard desks too large for her to properly do her job while seated at them normally, but her sweetheart made sure to figure out a way to get around that. She offhandedly noted that their quirk suppressors had reactivated, and smiled, knowing that while her husband enjoyed using his quirk, he hated fighting if it wasn't needed. The beeping of the easily hidden bands signaled to her that neither of them would need to get rough, much less with a minor.

Aiba Manami sighed, and said to the class, "Since my lesson plan got thrown out the window, how about a Q and A? You, the happy pink one with the horns. Ashido Mina-san, right? You're fast. What's your question?"

Mina giggled, happy she got to ask her question. "So, you and Gentleman are married, right? How did the two of you meet?" she asked, the shipper in her wanting to know all the details.

Manami smiled, a giggle escaping her as well. "I'm so used to people asking more about the rehabilitation Gentle and I went through. It's nice that somebody likes us enough to wonder how our relationship started. Well, Gentle was a youtuber as well as a villain, and his passion for what he did, along with his charming looks and aversion to violence, attracted me to him. Admittedly, going to visit him was a very stupid move on my part. I didn't know nearly enough about him to be sure he wouldn't kill me or anything like that, and none of you should ever go to a known villain's home or lair on your own, even when you've gone pro. Thankfully, though, he happened to not be very different off camera than he was on camera. I approached him, claiming to be his biggest fan, and he and I hit it off. We committed petty crimes, some breaking and entering, nothing really big for a while, just being a nuisance to heroes. Our biggest plot was where we got caught, and it was due to something completely unrelated! Since we'd been dating as villains, we decided, as soon as we were done turning our lives around, we'd tie the knot, and now we're a power couple!" she explained, a grin on her face as she thought of the dates they'd gone on, both before and after becoming heroes.

Hanta raised his hand quickest next, and Lady Love called on him. "Um, no offense, but how are you two married? Aren't you a kid like us?" he asked, then got glared at by several girls in the room, along with a disappointed look from Koji and a three-handed facepalm from Mezo.

Lady Love erupted much like one of the students currently under her watch would at times. "Damnit, kid, I've got dwarfism! I'm only three years younger than Gentle! Don't make fun of short people!" she shouted, frightening Hanta with her abrupt one-eighty from happy to angry, then pouted and muttered under her breath about how she can't even go out drinking with Midnight and Thirteen without having to prove she's not a kid.

Ochako raised her hand next, and the pink-haired heroine picked her out next. "So, sorry, but this is Izuku's question, not mine. He says you and Gentleman have a rescue tally you keep track of. What is it at currently, if you don't mind his asking?" she asked, a bright smile on her face.

Lady Love blinked in astonishment, then smiled. "Gentle and I don't get to go in the field much, but we've proudly got a rescue tally of thirty-three. Twenty of those are a class from when a field trip nearly went wrong, and seven are bystanders that got caught up in the same incident. The other six are from smaller incidents, none of them newsworthy, but important nonetheless," she answered with her head tilted to the side happily.

A knock at the door interrupted the class's whispers of awe at the impressive feat of saving an entire class from the same incident, along with more than a few bystanders. Aizawa poked his head in, and said, "Hey, Manami-san. We need your technical expertise with Mineta's equipment, since he's being less than cooperative. I'll take these kids off your hands for now."

Lady Love rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless. Have fun with your nap, and don't expel anymore students today. I like some of these kids already," she replied as she leaped from the desktop to the doorway, waving as she left.

Eraserhead got up to the front of the class and looked lazily over them for a moment. "The rest of the period is a free period now. I'm gonna rest my eyes for a bit. Try not to set anything on fire in the meantime, or do anything else that'd force me to expel one of you," he drawled before sitting at the desk and leaning back.

A big-lipped young man, Sato Rikido, raised his hand, hoping to get Aizawa's attention before he got too relaxed. Aizawa nodded at him, gesturing for him to ask whatever's on his mind. "So, Mineta-san's actually expelled, right?" he asked.

Aizawa let out a sigh. "Yes, he's expelled. The video he took had really bad stuff on it. Several of you kids should expect compensation at a later date, either from the school or Mineta's family. I don't think he'll be accepted at any hero course after this," he explained, before going to get some shuteye.

Most of the students were muttering quietly to themselves about the incident, though a few were excitedly whispering about what they thought the heroics class coming up would be like. Ochako rolled her eyes as she reassured Izuku for the hundredth time that no, what Minoru did was not his fault, smiling despite herself at the lovable worrywart.

Later, In Heroics 101

"**I AM...ENTERING THE CLASSROOM LIKE A HERO!"** he exclaimed, somehow managing to flap the cape of his Silver Age costume despite the lack of any wind.

Japan's greatest hero and largest ham wasted no time, posing dramatically before pulling a sign with the day's lesson on it from some kind of hammerspace. **"Today's lesson pulls no punches! We're going to do some Battle Training!"** he exclaimed, the sign in question saying Battle Training on it.

If the class wasn't excited before, they certainly were now, with Ochako, Izuku, and Mina all forgetting about the subject matter being discussed only a moment ago. With a flourish, All Might gestured to the wall on the side of the room facing the hallway. **"And for this exercise, we've got your hero costumes, designed as you each instructed by our wonderful Support Course students! Take a moment to change into them, and meet up at Training Ground Beta!"** the musclebound hero exclaimed, then marched off happily in the direction of the aforementioned training ground.

Several Minutes Later, At Training Ground Beta

Each of the students made their way to the entrance of Beta, an urban training ground, and took a moment to appreciate each other's costumes. Katsuki's costume was one Izuku had known about for a long time, noting the pair of grenade-shaped gauntlets he had boasted about thinking up long ago.

Izuku and Tenya stood facing each other, both looking like very different robots from one another. Tenya's armor was clearly meant to look inspiring and be aerodynamic, while Izuku's was incredibly bulky, and likely weighed a great amount. Green aura was leaking a bit from within. Ochako couldn't help but sputter out a laugh. It looked a lot like they were sizing each other up, even though she could hear Izuku's internal monologue nerding out about the design of his friend's armor. Tenya might be sizing Izuku up for all she knew, but all she knew for certain was that he was thinking hard about something.

Her laughter got the two to look at her, both of them waving. She made her way over, her shock-absorbant layer thick enough to protect against fairly powerful impacts. The helmet was the same as she'd originally thought up, giving off an astronaut vibe, but was joined by a respirator that hung around her neck, attached to a small oxygen tank on her back, for emergencies where she might be flung into the sky while her weight is reduced. Only she and Izuku were aware of the fact that beneath that armor was an actual skintight suit, to help with her nausea, and for if she needed more mobility in a hurry. The shock-absorbant layer was meant to be easily removed in a pinch, and the oxygen tank and respirator would come off with it. A pair of large armored boots and small gauntlets with handles attached completed the look, made from a strong, lightweight material.

The front of Izuku's helmet flipped back, revealing his face beneath. "It feels like we're all getting ready to go to space instead of learning to be heroes," he joked, noticing the sci-fi theme the three of them seemed to have.

Tenya chuckled from behind his helmet. "Yes, well, heroes come in all shapes and sizes, after all. Your armor looks familiar for some reason. I like the look of it regardless. And Uraraka-kun, I would think you were an actual astronaut if not for the boots and less-than-airtight helmet!" he commented.

Ochako grinned. "Yeah, Izuku and I helped each other with our costume designs, though Izuku's looks different from what we'd thought up," she explained.

Izuku shrugged, his mobility limited in the armor. "There was a note saying that it does everything I wanted it to do, and an apology from Power Loader-sensei. Apparently one of the members of the support course insisted on working on mine, and he let her. He says that if I'm unsatisfied with it, my original costume is on standby, but I'm really liking this one," he explained, then added with a bit of a concerned tone, "Apparently, though, this support course student has already got a superior model in the works. She must be incredibly dedicated, and I'm not sure how to feel about somebody I've never met feeling that way about me…"

Tenya mirrored Izuku, shrugging as well. "We'll find out what's up with this later. For now, we should focus on the upcoming class," he suggested, then gestured in the direction of the rest of the class, who had made their way to stand before All Might.

The number one hero of Japan grinned at the class before him, proud of the costume designs everybody came up with, though he'd have to ask somebody to have a word with Yaoyorozu about her costume, and possibly Tooru, if her outfit was what he thought it was. The technology existed for heroes like them that would allow their quirks to work even without the...well, lack of costume in certain places. Izuku was really rubbing off on him. He hadn't studied quirks as much as he had in the last few months in a very long time!

"**Each of you look so darn cool in your outfits! Some of you will upgrade your costumes over time like I have, and some of you will simply get larger versions of the same outfits, but regardless, today you get to really strut your stuff! Now, before we begin, do any of you have questions?"** he hammed up, chewing the scenery as he taught in the hopes of getting the class excited despite the incident from earlier.

"Will we be fighting robots like in the practical exam?"

"Are we going to have to worry about being expelled?"

"How hard are we allowed to fight today?"

"Don't I just look fabulous in this cape?"

All Might was simultaneously amazed and humbled by the excitement of his class. He gave a sheepish look, and tried to convey to his successor, _"I'm sorry for being so pathetic here, but can you remind me what was just asked, and by who? I need to get better at teaching!"_

Izuku rolled his eyes with a smile, and conveyed the relevant info to his idol, who then answered the class in order. **"First, no, you will not. Second, no, you will not. Third, you will have to hold back quite a bit more than in the practical exam. Fourth, **_**ARE YOU KIDDING? YOU LOOK ABSOLUTELY MAJESTIC!"**_ the muscle bound man explained.

All Might sighed a bit. **"I apologize. I'm new to this whole teaching thing, so I'm gonna be a bit amateurish for a while,"** he explained, then brought out a notecard, and read aloud, **"Today, you will be working on indoor combat. Students will be paired into teams of two, and some will be heroes while others are villains. As Mineta has been expelled for less than decent behavior, one of you will need to fight twice. One of you may either volunteer, or we will draw lots. The villain teams will be attempting to protect a nuclear device from the hero teams, either by capturing the heroes, or by holding them off for ten minutes. The hero teams will be attempting to stop the villains, either by touching the bomb, thus 'capturing' it, or by capturing the villain team. Teams will be decided at random."**

Tenya raised his hand. "I'm sorry, All Might-sensei, but is it wise to leave teams up to chance like that?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Katsuki chuckled from nearby. "Villain attacks happen whenever and wherever villains feel like. The team ups that happen in these situations are just as random, because there's only so much time to counter," he explained, a grin on his face. _'Izuku, I hope I get to fight you. I want to feel how strong you've become firsthand! Show me the Hero who will avenge Deku!'_

Izuku turned slightly towards Katsuki, having heard and felt that deep within his heart. His visor dropped, and he smiled a little, a blush on his now hidden face. _"Kacchan, I want to fight you too. I want to know how strong you've become, too!"_

Katsuki nearly jumped upon hearing this, but his grin intensified upon realizing what just happened. The entire class pulled lots, and it seemed some deity was smiling upon Izuku's group of friends. Katsuki and Tenya had made up a villain team, and Izuku and Ochako had formed a hero team. They were up against each other, and their match was first. Before Tenya and Katsuki headed into the building, the ash blond held his fist out towards Izuku. The greenette blinked, having lifted his visor when their group had left the observation building, and grinned, bumping his fist against Katsuki's.

"**You have five minutes to prepare, Villain Team, before the Hero Team begins their attack. I will announce when the match is to start. Until then, use those noggins, you bunch of newbies!"** All Might called over the PA system.

And so, it began.

Inside The Building, With Katsuki And Tenya

Tenya inspected the faux bomb they were meant to protect, giving it a light tap with the back of his fist. "So, Bakugo-kun. Between the two of us, you know the most about our opponents, or at the very least, Izuku. What can you tell me about what we're up against?" he asked, turning to look at the explosive youngster.

Katsuki sighed. "I can tell you that it's very possible his quirk isn't his greatest strength. I was an absolute monster towards him before that sludge villain incident, but I'm not blind. Even when we all believed him to be quirkless, he's been incredibly observant. He's always been the smartest kid I've known, and given time, he'll probably figure out things about your quirk that even you don't know. He's already done it with mine, after all," he confessed, then gazed down at his palms and explained, "I did some tests last night, with the help of my parents. My hearing is actually going a bit, and my quirk is probably a big part of the reason why. One thing's for certain. We can't take him or Uraraka-san lightly, or we're toast. One other thing, though."

At this, he turned to look at Tenya, and glared. "I know one thing about him that he doesn't know, and you _can't_ tell him or Uraraka-san. Something happened to him before I ever even met him, and it's left something behind. The evidence is on his back, in that one spot normal humans can't reach. If we get past his armor, do _not_ attack him from behind. You'll be dealing with **me** if you uncover whatever the fuck that thing is, exercise or not. I'm not letting his life get fucked up anymore than it might already be. Other than that. I suggest we shore up our defenses here, and try to work as a team to beat them. Get everything not nailed down out of the room in a hurry. He and Uraraka-san can both use random objects as projectiles, and we do _not_ want this to turn into bullet hell."

Tenya removed his helmet, a concerned look on his face. "You really want to help him, don't you?" he asked, a hint of pride in his voice.

Katsuki scowled. "Whether I deserve his friendship anymore or not is a moot point. He's decided he still wants to be my friend, and I'm not going to make the mistake I made when we were four years old, and slap his hand away because of my stupid fucking pride. I'm gonna be a hero, and I'll do my damndest to save him from whatever the fuck happened to him as an infant. I need yours and Uraraka-san's help to do that, and probably others as well. But I also _really_ wanna see how strong he's gotten, so this might get a little crazy."

"**Hero team, villain team, the exercise starts NOW!"**

Katsuki grinned manically. "Izuku's been surprising me a lot lately. I hope he does it again!"

With Izuku And Ochako

Izuku looked Ochako in the eye, his hand bare, along with hers. "Well, time to start. Do you consent?" he asked, his gaze serious despite Ochako having issues not bursting into laughter at his wording.

"Midoriya-kun, you're wording this really weirdly. I get that you want to make sure it's okay with me, but it's not _that_ big a deal," she said with a grin.

The green-eyed boy frowned. "Isn't it? If anything, this is _way_ more intimate than sex. For the remainder of this exercise, or until one or both of us decide to stop, we will share _everything,"_ he reiterated his point from when they first discovered this ability.

Ochako rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I get why this is important to you. Honestly, if you were perverted or naturally violent, I'd be very much against this. However," with this, she grasped his hand in hers, careful to keep her pinky off. "I'm doing this with you, and I _know_ I can trust you. So, with that in mind, yes, I consent."

Izuku smiled. "Uraraka-chan, thank you so much for being my friend."

And in that instant, two minds, two hearts, two bodies, were united. Wordlessly, the two released their hands, with Izuku's armor covering his once more, and they walked into the building together. The two made their way to the center of the first floor, and green aura flowed around Ochako's right arm, forming a brace for their next attack.

"G-Force Combo Move: Right Arm, One Hundred Gs!" the two spoke as one, practicing for when they eventually would be in the field. With Ochako's arm braced with green aura, she put all of her gravity into it, then multiplied it and-

**THWOOOM**

The punch to the floor rattled the building, destroying every window and knocking furniture around, but otherwise doing little damage. Just as planned.

With Katsuki And Tenya

The villain team stumbled for a moment as what felt like a short-lived earthquake hit the area. Seeing as no alarms were going off, Katsuki and Tenya both quickly realized that it had, in fact, been an attack by their opponents.

Tenya turned to Katsuki, his panicked look hidden by his helmet. "Is Midoriya-kun the kind of person to do things like this for intimidation?!" he asked, alarmed.

Katsuki shook his head. "No, and Ochako doesn't seem the type to try this either. There's probably some tactical reason for it, so watch-" he was interrupted when the floor beneath him exploded into pieces, with Izuku coming up, grabbing him, and changing directions, smashing him into a wall.

"FUCK! DAMNIT, IZUKU! THAT FUCKING HURT LIKE A BITCH!" Katsuki exploded, both verbally and literally, blasting Izuku's armored form with his quirk to get him off. Ochako fell into the room from below, the ceiling becoming the floor for her before she sprung off of it and fell at Tenya, the armored speedster barely managing to dodge before his opponent's armored boot hit the floor where he'd been standing.

"Uraraka-kun! In the name of Villainy, I will stop you!" Tenya exclaimed, getting into character for the exercise. Ochako merely grinned at him, and flung herself into an attack. The two continued their dance, Tenya attacking and dodging, with Ochako seeming to be pushing him in very confusing directions. He found out very quickly what was going on, when upon dodging one of her attacks, his arm was grabbed by Izuku's hand, the boy having been facing away from him when he did it. Izuku then got his green aura around Tenya, and flung him at Katsuki, who was just about to leap at Izuku.

The villain team found themselves backed up against the bomb upon getting back up, with Izuku and Ochako facing them from across the room. Ochako grinned, and from the glowing coming off of Izuku's armor, Katsuki had the feeling he was grinning as well.

"G-Force Combo Move: Unlimited Platform Works!" the two said as one, and with a few clicking sounds, Izuku's armor came apart into multiple pieces, which floated around the room ominously. Katsuki noted that he was right about Izuku's grin.

Katsuki groaned. "I went into this knowing I shouldn't underestimate Izuku, but fuck. I managed to do it anyway," he said, seeing exactly what was going on.

Tenya put his hand on Katsuki's shoulder. "Don't worry. Evil will succeed this day!" he exclaimed, hamming it up, then rushing to attack the two of them. It went poorly. Ochako grabbed him as he ran to attack the unarmored Izuku, and flung him into the air behind her partner, where a piece of armor floated into place for Tenya to smack into. The armor piece placed itself at Tenya's gut, and shoved him into the floor next to Katsuki. Tenya stood up on wobbly legs, and placed a hand on Katsuki's shoulder again, this time for support. "I stand corrected. Evil will have to try again some other time."

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Four-eyes, they've done something completely fucking insane. Hey, you two! Are you even two separate people right now?!" he asked, flabbergasted at how utterly curbstomped he and Tenya were getting.

Izuku put his hand to his chin, now able to move better with only the costume made by his mother on him. "Yes and no, honestly," he answered.

Ochako continued for him. "We're sharing senses, thoughts, pretty much everything right now. It's really weird having a different center of mass when we focus more on what's going on in the other's body. I'm not Ochako," she said.

"And I'm not Izuku," Izuku said.

"We are Izuku and Ochako," they said simultaneously, then smiled with the innocent smile each were known for, only with the faces swapped. "And we win."

The bunch of armor pieces, which had been hovering around ominously for the most part, now flew at the villain team in earnest, becoming like a storm of moving parts. Ochako and Izuku flitted in and out of the storm as they made their way through Katsuki and Tenya's defenses, then passed them entirely, none of them really sure which of them touched the bomb first.

**"Hero Team Wins!"**

The ash blond swore with words the author cannot write here, for they are incredibly offensive and should only be spoken amongst Scotsmen and sailors. Izuku and Ochako desynced, and gave each other a high five, followed by Izuku being sent flying and getting knocked out by an unfortunate smack against the ceiling, and his three friends trying to safely catch him as he floated around the room.


	6. Chapter 6

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Six_

A/N: Thanks as always to my editors and personal motivational speakers, Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83.

"Normal speech."

"**Buff Might/AI speech."**

'Sign language.'

'_Thoughts lacking intent to convey feelings and ideas. Some will be conveyed unintentionally. Some will not.'_

"_Telepathy, or thoughts with intent to convey feelings and ideas."_

On A Bus En Route To Rescue Training

Izuku sat happily, surrounded by friends who had gravitated towards him over the week, a tiny bashful smile on his face, blue aura threatening to overtake the bus. They didn't even seem to be bothered about him being a late bloomer, even if it wasn't one hundred percent true. Katsuki had gotten a bit quiet since the hero training exercise, but he'd assured Izuku that he was just thinking, letting him look into his heart if he needed assurance that they were still friends. The greenette didn't need to look into his heart to see that, but he did so anyway, not looking a gift horse in the mouth.

His oldest friend was a bit scared and conflicted about what he'd thought his whole life, more so than earlier, but he still was his friend. His heart screamed that more than anything. The sincerity behind the feeling was louder than his quirk, and thinking about it made Izuku smile just a bit more as he remembered.

The only ones in the class to not seem to obviously like him were Tokoyami Fumikage, who it seemed was just acting it, since he could sense he wanted to be friends with those around him but was half shy and half trying really hard with the whole dark and mysterious thing, and Todoroki Shoto, who he could sense intense hurt within at times. It took all of Izuku's willpower at times to keep himself from asking the poor boy who had hurt him and how he could help, but he never had any opportunity to do this where nobody would see, and he didn't want to embarrass the guy in school, where he should feel safe.

Earlier in the week, he had won the position of Class Rep, but the position didn't feel like something he deserved, much less something he could handle. Thankfully, the person he'd voted for had been made Vice Rep, and so he swapped places with Yaoyorozu Momo, getting her a promotion while he gave himself a demotion. The girl, he could sense, needed a bit of a confidence boost, and he could only hope that putting her in a place where her intelligence would allow her to benefit people in a way she could physically see would help with that.

Ochako had apparently spoken to her and Hagakure Tooru about their costumes, independent of him, and reworks were in the making already, though for the moment they were stuck with the boob window and the lack of costume in general. Anytime Izuku looked at them, he made a point of not lowering his eyes below theirs, though that was a bit more difficult with Tooru, since she was simultaneously invisible and incredibly animated. Quite a contrast, indeed.

In all honesty, he was very happy that he'd been able to make as many friends as he had as quickly as he had. Katsuki had scoffed at him when he confessed that he was worried about his ability to make friends, replying that the only reason he couldn't make friends earlier was because of the ash-blond's stupidity, not any fault of his own. The explosive teen reminded him that he was incredibly nice and smart, not to mention tough as nails when it came down to it. The boy gave off shame and sincerity simultaneously when he reminded him that these were great traits in a friend, and that people would just gravitate towards his goodness in a way that his own toadies would never be able to gravitate towards him.

Finally, they'd made it to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, or USJ as it was called. He really hoped he could do well today. Rescue training was important, after all.

Within The Facility

Ochako screamed a bit with joy. "The Space Hero Thirteen! They're my favorite hero!" she exclaimed with such joy it was affecting more than just Izuku. "Their quirk, Black Hole, has been used to save people from fallen rubble, _and_ it's able to shield people from attacks headed their way!"

Thirteen smiled inside their space suit, glad to see a fan. "Thanks, kid. I try my best, like any hero. However, like any quirk used incorrectly, mine can be incredibly deadly if I misuse it. It doesn't just turn rubble and attacks into dust. If I were to turn it on a person, it would kill them, no doubt. Today, we will be learning how to use our quirks to save people, and start on figuring out what parts of our quirks are no good for that part of the job. For that, I welcome you to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint!" The mysterious masked hero, fan of the unknown reaches of the void of space, gestured to the facility behind them with an arm.

Izuku, who was still putting his armor on, having not been able to fit it on the bus in one piece, noticed a quiet conversation happening between Aizawa and Thirteen. The rescue hero held up three fingers, and since All Might was supposed to be here but wasn't, Izuku put two and two together. He telepathically contacted his idol, checking to make sure he was doing all right, only to find that the man was dreaming, meaning he was probably power napping to help get a bit of extra transformation time. No doubt he intended to show up at some point, not being the kind of guy who liked being a no show when he was expected. Izuku rolled his eyes from beneath his helmet, and walked to the beginning of the stairs to look down at the courtyard, before his armor began blaring some kind of alarm, startling everybody there.

"**UNEXPECTED LOSS OF CONNECTION TO SERVER. HATSUME MEI AND POWER LOADER NOTIFIED. SCANNING AREA...SCANNING...UNACCEPTABLE NUMBER OF CONFIRMED VILLAINS IN THE VICINITY. TACTICAL SUGGESTION: STUDENTS AND STAFF KEEP TOGETHER. PRIMARY WEAPON DROPPING. FIRE IT SKYWARD BEFORE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GIVE LOCATION INFORMATION. USER MIDORIYA IZUKU, UNIT 0 IS INCOMING. DISCARD CURRENT ARMOR WHEN IT ARRIVES."**

As the armor was saying this, Izuku's eyes widened, along with everybody else's, when a portal opened up in the courtyard below, with what the armor informed them was villains pouring out. Eventually, the portal closed, forming a person made of black mist.

"**ADDITIONAL VILLAINS SCANNED. THREE UNKNOWN HUMANS SCANNED. REMINDER: YOUR LIVES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR CAREERS. IF YOU MUST KILL ANY OF THESE VILLAINS TO SURVIVE, DO SO. THEY WILL NOT HESITATE TO END YOU."**

Izuku panicked a little, thousands of thoughts flowing through his mind at once. The panic in his head and heart was nothing next to the screaming agony coming from the big, bird-faced man in the courtyard before them. It was like all it knew was suffering, no thoughts coming from it other than how much it wanted to die. The thoughts weren't even all in the same voice, implying something horrific went into whatever made it the way it was.

Grasping out with his desire to protect, Izuku's green aura wrapped around himself, his teachers, and his friends, the boy imbuing each of them with some of it to allow him to at least know where they are if they got separated. He hadn't practiced with this with anybody outside of Ochako and All Might, so he was unaware what support he'd be able to provide with it.

Aizawa turned to Thirteen. "Keep the students safe, and see if any of you can get into contact with the school or police. I'm going in," he said, putting his goggles on as he dove into action.

As his homeroom teacher started taking on the villains, Izuku realized that he'd never found out before what hero he was. Looking at his fighting style, and how the quirks of several villains seemed to fail on them unexpectedly, he realized that he was learning from Eraserhead.

He also realized that his skillset was a very poor match for this situation. The boy grit his teeth in irritation, hoping that whatever that weapon was…

**THUD**

...Speak of the devil. Izuku lifted the large, futuristic looking weapon, his armor's HUD telling him what end to hold, and what end not to point at things he didn't want destroyed. Realizing that he couldn't aim it straight up from within his armor while standing, he hovered a little via his telekinetic abilities, and angled himself to face upwards. Deactivating the safety, the weapon charged for a couple seconds, before a brilliant blast of pink-colored energy, somehow far wider than the barrel of the weapon, tore upward, ripping through the ceiling of the USJ like wet tissue paper.

Seconds later, the mist villain appeared in their midst, and the weapon he'd just fired was suddenly missing the front half of its barrel, said front half nowhere in sight.

"I must apologize, heroes, children, but I cannot have you calling for help like that again. Now, where is All Might? Our information says he should be here, and yet he is noticeably absent. The League of Villains does not take kindly to our schemes being foiled, so I suggest you answer honestly," the mist villain said politely, a hint of steel in his tone.

Thirteen whirled around, uncapping their finger and pointing it at the villain. "Keep away from these kids, villain!" they exclaimed, about to unleash their Black Hole on the ghostly evildoer, until Katsuki and Eijiro beat them to the punch, forcing them to recap their finger.

"GO TO HELL, VILLAIN!" Katsuki screamed as an explosion ripped from his palm, him and Eijiro flying at the misty man. It was an inspiring sight, one Izuku and many of his classmates would never forget for the rest of their lives, the ticking time bomb of a boy flinging his power and body at the villain, and the manliest of men joining him in his endeavor. Some part of Izuku was comforted by their courage, making him lose focus on the enemy's thoughts for an instant.

Their courage was ripped away from them an instant later, when Katsuki and Eijiro vanished into the void made from the villain's body. Izuku could still sense the two of them on the other end of the facility, and he could also sense the veritable mosh pit of villains they found themselves surrounded by. "That was a close one. I need to be more careful," the villain said, then expanded his body around everybody there.

Izuku watched, the terror in his heart combined with the terror felt by his peers rooting him to the spot as the black void swallowed many of them without remorse, moving them away, separating them from those they'd gotten close to…

In his horrified state, he almost didn't register a pair of hands gripping him, his armor and the body beneath suddenly losing most of their weight, before he was flung away from a whirl of the black void opening beneath him. He looked down from where he'd been thrown, only to see Ochako fall into a trap that had been about to swallow him up. The girl smiled at him, a thumbs up being pointed his direction, but he knew she was bluffing. They both knew he knew.

And then she was gone, to the other side of the facility. Izuku grit his teeth, taking advantage of the fact that he was still with a lot of the class, along with Thirteen. Time to use that head of his.

"_Iida-san, when I tell you, head for the door. Do not stop to open it. I'll handle that. We need you to make sure reinforcements are coming in case the method my armor used to call for them wasn't sufficient. Shouji-san, keep your senses peeled. You notice anything headed our way that shouldn't be here, make sure to tell me. Everybody who got separated, make your way to an open area if you can. I will bring you back regardless, but it will be easier with less solid objects obstructing me. I will keep attacks off your back, now that I know I can do that. Thirteen, any advice you have, I will broadcast to everybody via telepathy. Do not speak out loud if you're near me,"_ Izuku broadcasted, hoping his plan would work.

From nearby, Thirteen nodded. _"I assume you need an opening for Iida-san? I will provide it. None of you get between me and the villain this time. I can't use my quirk if you're in front of me,"_ they conveyed, stepping forward as everybody made space.

The mist villain's eyes shaped themselves as if he were glaring. "What could you possibly be planning? None of you can take me down as you are, and I will not allow any of you to escape. If you cooperate, I'm sure we'll even allow most of you to live!" he explained, seemingly trying to give the heroes an out.

Thirteen glared beneath their helmet. "Most of us live? No. We will _all_ go home. I'll make sure of that, villain," they said, uncapping three of their fingers to increase the power of their black hole.

Their shapeless foe started getting sucked up by the power of Thirteen's quirk, but that was part of his plan. What wasn't part of his plan was when Thirteen was abruptly pulled away from their redirected attack by the strange green aura coming off of the armored student who'd fired off that enormous blast. Focusing his eyes on the armored student, Kurogiri mused, "You've got good instincts, child, now that you've realized the situation. However, it matters not. You cannot stop us."

As the villain was monologuing, Izuku informed Tenya to start moving. The boy sped off towards the door, a determined look on his bespectacled face. Kurogiri went to stop him, but his physical body was pulled back, Hanta having latched on with his tape before pulling him away. Cutting the tape with a warp gate, Kurogiri went to stop the armored speedster again, but was grabbed this time by a cloud of green aura, which then flung him to the other side of the plaza, near his comrades.

Kurogiri snarled. "A change of plans is in order, then," he said, then turned to Shigaraki Tomura. "Young Master, my apologies. A student with a speed enhancing quirk escaped. I've scattered several of the other students, but we do not have much time before their reinforcements arrive."

Tomura scratched his neck, more and more irritated with the situation. Suddenly, though, he had an epiphany. "Well, I don't feel like calling it game over just yet. We should see if the meta build we've got here will work on those kids. Nomu. Remove Eraserhead's goggles from the equation, then have some fun with the students up there with Thirteen," the handsy villain commanded with a gleeful leer in the direction of the students, still visible from his position. "As for me, I think I'll go show Eraserhead how we do things here. We might not kill All Might today, but we'll certainly leave a scar on this society."

Nomu roared, prepared to do its master's bidding. The beast leaped to engage the erasure hero, intent on destruction.

With Tenya, En Route To The Main School Building

Tenya Iida ran. He ran as fast and efficiently as he could, even as tears fell from his eyes. He hoped with all his soul that what he'd seen before he'd left wasn't the last he'd see of his new friends.

'_Forgive me, Niisan! I'm so pathetic! All I can do is run to get the help of somebody else, when my friends are in such incredible danger!'_ he wept internally as he kept going, not caring that his fuel source probably would need refilling soon. He'd have enough to get back to the school, but without more orange juice, his quirk would be useless to hasten a return trip.

The boy saw a glint of white, a humanoid shape running along the same road as him, only in the opposite direction. For but a moment, he thought it was his elder brother, his eyes not seeing clearly due to the tears. But no, this armor was different. It was entirely white from the front, outside of a strip of glowing green where eyes would probably be, and was that a horn extending from its head? He had no time to contemplate further, as the armor passed him, sprinting as fast as it could in the direction of the USJ.

Tenya frowned. _"That person didn't stop to speak to me, nor did they try to stop me. Is that the armor that Izuku's costume said would be coming? No time to think about that. Even if it's headed there, it's obviously on some kind of auto-pilot. I need to make absolutely certain that the heroes are coming!"_

And with a bit of renewed hope, the child of the Ingenium line sprinted forward, knowing he must get help for his friends.

Back At The USJ

The armored greenette did _not_ expect today to go like this. The bird-beaked monstrosity was bashing its fists against a dome of green shields Izuku had put up. The boy could see the shields budging, reminding him of their weakness. They couldn't be broken, but with enough force, they could be moved aside, like what this creature was doing with one of the sides of the dome before it. _"Everybody, tighten up our formation a bit. I'm going to make a redundant shield dome inside the one it's banging on,"_ Izuku informed the others. In seconds, there were two shield domes. The creature being right here was a bit concerning, since he was still carrying some of the other students here. He would have to be careful bringing them into the dome. If this thing targeted them before they got inside…

Izuku grimaced at the thought. _'All I can do is hope something changes in the next few minutes,'_ he thought to himself, then looked down at Eraserhead, checking on how many more foes he had to face. _'It looks like everybody but that one villain has backed off. That monster took his goggles before it came here, and that villain's gotten dust in his eyes. He killed his own comrade to do it, too! That guy's really messed up. If I wasn't shielding Eraserhead-sensei from his hands, he might be in trouble.'_

"_Eraserhead-sensei! The other students are almost all back, and it feels like All Might's gotten word of what's going on! Do you want me to pull you back to the shield dome?"_ Izuku asked, hoping he could help in some way.

"_Sorry, problem child. Until you're all safe, I can't stop holding this guy off. How are you holding against big, dark, and stupid up there?"_ the erasure hero responded.

The freckled boy frowned. _"It's figured out that it can move my shields if it puts in enough effort. This thing was definitely made to kill All Might. It takes a startling amount of force to move these things without me allowing it. I might have to try to put it down at this rate,"_ he responded, not at all liking the idea of killing whatever this is. After all, the people it used to be are still in there in some way! If he could save them…

"_Problem child. The way you were talking about that villain...Are you speaking like that because they were manufactured or something? How bad is their mental state?"_ Aizawa asked, fairly certain he wasn't going to like the answer.

Izuku cried a little, the thoughts and feelings of those trapped within this beast's mind suddenly making their way into his head again upon being asked that. _"They're in agony, Sensei! And by they, I mean more than one person! There are at least three people in this monster, and it hurts to hear them!"_ he answered.

Eraserhead glared at the villain before him. _"If you can think of a way to kill it, and it starts to get past your defenses, do it. Those people would probably thank you for ending it if they could, but unless you have to, don't. If we can save them, we should at least try,"_ the underground pro ordered.

Izuku grit his teeth, but nodded. Suddenly, his armor started coming off of him on its own. **"UNIT 0 IS WITHIN ACCEPTABLE DISTANCE. THIS ARMOR WILL NOW ACCESS ITS STORES OF [REDACTED] AND ENGAGE THE ENEMY UNTIL DESTRUCTION. HAVE A NICE DAY,"** the armor said, reforming itself off of Izuku and glowing red. Izuku nodded, and made a partition in the barrier away from the beast, and the armor shot through it, moving nearly as fast as he did with his blue aura.

Izuku's first armor fought well, all things considered. Whoever programmed the onboard AI made sure it was decent with tactics. It lasted long enough that Izuku had been able to get the other students into the barrier dome with ten whole seconds to spare. Then the beaked freak started slamming its fists into the barrier again.

"Midoriya-san. That armor seems to be here," Shoji said via one of his dupli-arms. Before Izuku could give any kind of reply, the armor opened up behind him, and wrapped itself around him. It was dark for a second before the HUD came to life. Izuku felt a little twist of something on his back, then a tingle that felt familiar for some reason, then he was somewhere else entirely.

He was held in the arms of a girl a bit older than him. The two wore hospital gowns, and the room was cold and smelled of antiseptic and blood.

"Don't worry. I'll get the heroes, and we'll come back and save you. Just stay alive until then, okay?" the girl said, her tone comforting despite the chill this place was giving him. Izuku felt himself nodding, and the girl's arms tightened a bit for a second. "No matter what happens, I'm glad I got to be your big sister!"

And just like that, Izuku was back. No time had passed, from what he could tell, but he suddenly felt more powerful.

"I feel like...I feel like I can do this," he said to himself softly, forming a fist with his armored hand.

"**User Izuku Midoriya. Unit 0 is made from armor treated with the particles from your green aura. Unit 0 will not break unless you command it to. Unit 0 can also shape your particles into weapons, should you choose to do so. It is more than capable of helping you hold off the villain before you, according to combat data taken from Armor Alpha."**

Izuku grinned. "I can work with that." He sprinted through the shield dome, and slammed into the monster that had been banging on it still, a bit surprised when it didn't seem affected by his attack.

"**Combat data shows your opponent has multiple quirks. One makes impact-based attacks useless. Either Shock Absorption or Shock Nullification. Another is some form of regeneration quirk. Unit 0 can suggest tactics, if you'd like."**

Izuku responded by picking the villain up, then applying his green aura to it and keeping it off the ground. "Thanks, but I think I've got this," he responded, then turned to keep an eye on the villains around Aizawa again, ready to tell him if any of them tried to sneak up on him. It ended up being unnecessary, though, because-

"**I am here!"** because All Might was here.

"Tomura-kun, we must retreat _now!"_ Kurogiri shouted, forming a portal beneath the younger villain, then vanishing himself, leaving all their allies alone in a U.A. facility with All Might, who would probably be backed up by other pros soon. A portal had appeared below Nomu, but Izuku didn't let the warping villain take the creature, moving it away from the portal. It didn't stick around for long, the villains likely not wanting to let Japan's number one hero into their base. Speaking of that creature…

"Can we get somebody else to restrain this thing? It's really hard to hold onto it with all the screaming," Izuku asked, getting queasy at sensing what the Nomu, as it was called, was feeling.

All Might raised an eyebrow, confused. **"What screaming? Young Midoriya, are you all right?"** he asked, concerned.

Shota sighed, dropping down next to them. "He's fine, All Might. No, problem child. You can't put it down until we get some heavy duty quirk-suppressing restraints. Maybe go over to your friends while you keep it where it is. Some positivity from them will probably help with this crap," he suggested, gesturing over to the rest of the class. Ochako had already started making her way over, with Katsuki not far behind her, along with the others.

Izuku willed the head and upper torso of his new armor to remove themselves from him, and wrapped Ochako and Katsuki in a hug, though the latter of them made a noise of irritation, as the king of explosive murders was wont to do.

Tenya arrived shortly after, along with all the pro hero staff members outside of Lunch Rush, for obvious reasons. Thankfully, there were more than enough heavy duty restraints to go around, so Izuku was quickly relieved of having to hold onto the amalgamation of shrieks and wails that was Nomu. He pointed the teachers in the direction of the other villains still in the facility, and they all got to work, after which his new armor separated from him, and headed back to the Support Course from whence it came. Izuku noted that he could sense where it was and had a feeling he could control it remotely, but didn't want to potentially make more work for whoever built it, so he let it go.

The entirety of Class 1-A breathed a sigh of relief. Between them all, the only injury had been a bit of dust in Aizawa's eyes. Class had been cancelled for the rest of the week, and Izuku made a request then and there.

"Um, Kacchan, Uraraka-chan, Iida-kun? Would you like to hang out somewhere sometime this week? We'll have less time to study, but after today, I...I really want to just spend some time with my friends," The green-haired cinnamon bun requested nervously.

Each of them were about to answer yes in their own ways, but they were beaten to the punch. "Midori-chan! Why just them? We can make this an activity for all of 1-A!" Mina exuberantly exclaimed, joining their group unexpectedly. Eijiro quietly followed the pink-skinned girl, a grin on his face as well.

More and more of the class seemed to like the idea, even Fumikage offering to join in his own weird way (What does revelry in the dark have to do with anything?). Soon enough, only Shoto was on the sidelines, looking over at them with a blank look plastered on his face. Izuku reached his hand out to him, hoping he'd join them, but the boy shook his head, and walked the other way.

The greenette was distraught for a moment, before Katsuki shouted something that would become a bit of a rallying cry for their class someday.

"HEY, HALF-AND-HALF! RUN ALL YOU FUCKING WANT, BUT FRIENDSHIP IS INEVITABLE! YOU'LL BE ONE OF US SOON ENOUGH!"

Tooru jumped up happily. "Yeah! Friendship is inevitable! There is no escape!" the invisible girl screamed with utter elation.

"It's inevitable, Mister Anderson! You won't escape our friendship!" Denki shouted as well, feeling the need to reference an ancient movie.

Izuku smiled. Shoto was still walking away, but the empath could tell that they'd made their impact. They'd made him happy, made him feel wanted. He wasn't ready to turn around, but he'd be their friend soon enough, and hopefully, they'd be able to help him through whatever troubles have been bothering him.

Another time, though. First, he needed to plan his first major outing with friends.


	7. Chapter 7

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Seven_

A/N: Thanks as usual to my editors, Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83. Their power is...MAXIMUUUUM!

"**Buff Might/AI speech."**

"Normal speech."

'_Thought without the intent to convey ideas and feelings. Some will be conveyed unintentionally.'_

"_Telepathy/Thoughts with intent to convey ideas and feelings."_

'Sign language.'

Two Days Later, At The Midoriya Residence

Izuku smiled as he awoke. It took a bit of planning and work for the metaphorical stars to align, but everybody was available to hang out today. Mina had picked out a mall with several fun shops for their group to go to, that was an easy enough distance from each of their homes to get to. He could sense Ochako's anticipation and excitement already, even as he fully awoke.

"_Mornin', Midoriya-kun! Good to see you're in a good mood this morning!"_ she spoke over their bond.

"_Good morning to you, too, Uraraka-chan! I can't wait to get over there with all of you!"_ the freckled boy exclaimed mentally, not even able to contain his blue aura. Fortunately, any neighbors close enough have never minded such outbursts, understanding the issues that came with quirks.

Amusement and a bit of anxiousness flowed from her to him. _"Don't worry. We've got a few hours before we're supposed to meet up. If we're lucky, we'll be on the same train and be able to chat before we get there!"_ the brunette supplied, and he could feel her excitement intensify for a moment before going back down to normal, along with a bit of confusion.

Izuku sent a bit of concern over their bond. _"Are you alright? You felt confused about something for a second there. There isn't a villain attack near you or anything, is there?"_ he asked.

The girl with the deadly high-five sent gratitude and reassurance to him. _"No, just had a confusing thought for a moment. It startled me a bit, but it wasn't anything bad, I promise,"_ she responded. He sent gratitude back, trusting her enough that even without the sincerity he sensed, he knew she was being honest.

"_I'm going to start getting ready for the day. Let me know if you need the police called or anything if a villain attacks and you can't get to your phone. Heck, let me know if you just need somebody to talk to or bounce ideas off of. I know you get lonely over there sometimes,"_ he said as he got up. It was going to be a good day, he knew it.

A Few Hours Later

It was time for the greenette to head out. As he was getting his shoes on, he was stopped by his mom. "Hey, Mom. What's up?" he asked.

The woman smiled up at him and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so happy you have friends now, Izuku. I was so scared when you asked me to call the school and the police to send reinforcements to USJ that day...What I'm trying to say is...I'm very proud of you, and I'm so very, very happy that you're doing well, but be careful. You're my only baby boy, and I don't know if I could handle it if…" Her words petered off here, the implication not requiring words, her tears more than explaining what she meant.

Izuku's green aura engulfed them both. Inko always loved this part of his power. When he was feeling more affectionate, he could essentially hug those he cared about twice over, the green power feeling like a blanket of love for those he cherished. He had even used one on her on the day of the villain attack, knowing she needed comfort after the fighting was over.

"I'll be safe, Mom. Thank you for loving me so much. It means a lot, seriously," he spoke softly to her, grasping her tighter in his arms for a second before releasing her and heading out the door, excited to see his friends.

At The Mall

Izuku, Ochako, and Katsuki arrived at the meeting place a bit early, having all met on the train together. The ash-blond seemed in good spirits today, occasionally activating his quirk at the lowest level possible to replicate sparklers, enjoying the looks of awe from some of the people passing by. A police officer gave him a warning after a bit, but he didn't seem bothered by having to stop.

Without warning, Izuku had a pair of hands put over his eyes, somebody behind him giggling too much to really be a threat. That, and he could sense amusement from Katsuki and Ochako next to him. The hands removed themselves, and Izuku turned around, seeing all his classmates there. Mina, the owner of the blinding hands, waved cheekily.

"Heya, Midoriya-chan! Sorry to surprise you like that, but Bakugo-kun told us you hadn't really had many opportunities to hang out with friends when you were younger, so we kind of went overboard! It took a bit of sneakiness to get everybody else here a bit early to surprise you, but that smile on your face makes it so worth it!" the pink girl said with glee, happy to be part of this.

Izuku turned to Katsuki, a bit surprised. "You had them do this?" he asked, astonished.

The explosive teen scoffed, a bit of a blush on his face as he turned to glare at the ground nearby. "It's the least I could do. The old hag's rented us all a small party room in an American-themed restaurant and paid for all our meals, so make sure you thank her later. I'm gonna have to pay her back eventually, but that won't be a problem when we're all pros," he responded, his embarrassment making itself known to Izuku's powers.

Kyouka snickered, grinning at Katsuki's attitude. "I guess you're a big softie deep down, Bakugo-chan!" she teased.

The blasty boy whirled on her. "YOU WANNA ROCK, EARLOBES?! I'LL BEAT YOU LIKE MY DRUM KIT!" he burst, a murderous look on his face.

Koji suddenly got between the two, a bit of a panicked look on his face. 'We should really get going. We don't want to be late to the restaurant,' he signed, still too nervous to really speak much.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Someone translate, please? I need to learn this sometime, but I'm not good enough to have understood anything he just said," he requested.

"He says we should get to the restaurant soon. I agree, honestly. If Auntie Mitsuki is anything like I remember, she would be very angry if we ended up missing the reservation," Izuku answered, a worried look on his face.

At this, Rikido smiled. "Don't worry too much. If we're a few minutes late, we'll be fine. It will take a while for our orders to be done anyway, considering how many of us they'll be serving. Regardless, we can head there now without any rush and we'll be alright," the taller boy stated, knowing enough about how restaurants did business to be confident in his information.

At this, Fumikage made his way to the front of the group. "We should depart now, then. Make haste! The void within my form hungers," he commanded, then blushed a bit when his stomach growled loudly.

Dark Shadow emerged, laughing raucously. "The punk means he's hungry. Don't let his roleplaying get to you. He's really glad to be here, even if he won't say so himself!" the sentient quirk exclaimed, forming one of his hands into a thumbs-up.

The group of eighteen made their way into the mall, looking forward to the next few hours of fun.

About Half An Hour Later

The group had been informed that their meals were nearly ready, having taken a while to prepare and be served to them around the same time. Thankfully, the group managed to ward off their stomachs by chatting with one another, enjoying the atmosphere even as the smells of the food made them all hungrier.

Shortly after their meals arrived, Izuku whispered something to Ochako, who got out of the way so he could get up, and the boy made his way outside quickly, the girl giggling a little. "He's so happy, he's got to go outside to let his quirk loose again," she explained, the rest of the class feeling relief knowing it wasn't anything bad.

Mina, on the other side of the table from Ochako, leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin on her face. "Look at you, looking after your boyfriend like that. You two are just too cute together!" the yellow and black eyed girl gushed.

Ochako rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "W-we aren't like that, Ashido-chan. We've only known each other a couple weeks! It's way too early for us to be d-dating or anything like that!" the flustered girl exclaimed defensively.

This time, it was Tooru who decided to tease her. "You say that, but you also said that when his quirk bonded the two of you, you each saw the entirety of the other's life, right? So the two of you already know any kind of secrets you might have kept from each other. It's kind of like the two of you were childhood friends who told each other everything!" the stealthy and noisy girl insisted, also interested in playing matchmaker with her new friends.

From further down, Mezo turned one of his limbs into an extra mouth. "Not quite, Hagakure-san. True, they know everything about each other from before their accidental connection, but from what I gather, the two of them have been doing their best to not invade each other's privacy with this ability. Also, they did, in fact, only meet a couple of weeks ago, no matter how much of each other's lives they've seen. It's probably uncomfortable for them to think about it too much, so you two should probably not tease them so much," he said, simultaneously eating with another one of his limbs.

Hanta, having finished his burger, decided to butt in now. "That's not even the strangest thing about his quirk, though. We all suffer quirk exhaustion in one way or another, but he seems to have the opposite issue, where he needs to actively restrain his quirk! I hope he doesn't need to do this with the physical half of his quirk, too!" the boy said, a bit of concern in his tone at the end.

Ochako frowned a bit, worried about Izuku's secret coming out without his consent and upset at being reminded of the state of his legs the day of the exam. She gave Izuku access to her sense of hearing, letting him know through that that he might want to pay attention. "Thankfully not. I've seen him use the strength portion of his quirk only once, and it wasn't pretty. I got stuck under some rubble during the exam when the zero pointer showed up, and he got so freaked out when he felt my fear that he ran over to me using it. His legs were destroyed, and his adrenaline was all that was keeping him going," she explained, turning a bit pale upon recalling the purple mass that his legs had become.

Mashirao's eyes widened. "Then when he went all blue streak on that zero pointer, his legs were busted?! That was dangerous!" he exclaimed, worried for the boy.

Katsuki frowned. He didn't like being reminded of that part of the story. He was brought out of his dark thoughts by Tsuyu, who was seated beside him. "If we're talking about weird things about his quirk, I think we're all forgetting what happened on the first day of classes. Aizawa-sensei tried to use his quirk on him to get him to settle down, but it didn't work. Sensei's quirk would have shut him down unless it's a mutation-type quirk, and it's definitely not, since those particles aren't spores or anything like that, kero," she added. Katsuki's frown deepened. He'd hoped the others had forgotten that part.

Ochako was looking a bit panicked now, but suddenly, she seemed to have heard something. "Um, hold on a second. Izuku's trying to tell me something," she said to the group, then turned her focus on the greenette in her head. _"Sorry, I didn't think they'd start figuring your powers out like this!"_

"_It's okay. They were going to find out eventually anyway. I can't tell them about One for All, obviously, but I might be able to calm them down a bit. Can you ask them if I can talk to them telepathically?"_ Izuku asked from up in the sky, having gotten high enough that his powers wouldn't be noticed by anybody unless they looked through binoculars.

Ochako nodded, knowing that Izuku got the feeling of acceptance even if he couldn't see her nod. The brunette sighed, then turned to her classmates. "Izuku wants to talk to you guys about his quirk...telepathically. There's something about it he thinks you should know, but he doesn't want it said out loud, so please, if you need to respond or anything, just think it with the intent to be 'heard'," she explained.

"Just tell us already! It's driving me crazy, you damn nerd!" Katsuki suddenly exploded, then sat down just as abruptly, looking ashamed of himself.

"_Sorry, I'm just really nervous about this,"_ Izuku's voice said, suddenly being heard in everybody's heads.

"_Stop being sorry, damnit! You haven't done a single fucking thing wrong!"_ Katsuki's voice shouted, being heard in all of their heads.

"_Wow, good to know he's just as loud in our heads as he is out of them,"_ Kyoka replied, the sarcasm more felt than heard, and nobody even needed to be looking at her to know she'd rolled her eyes.

"_All right, all right, everybody just quiet down. It'd be really unmanly to interrupt Izuku here when he's so nervous,"_ Eijiro interrupted, trying to settle them all down.

"_Thanks for this, everyone. I really am happy we're all getting along, so that makes me feel a lot better about telling you about this...So, I have a quirk, along with something else that isn't a quirk, according to Recovery Girl,"_ Izuku explained, everybody feeling his nervousness rise at the end there, then feeling his relief afterwards. _"That went a lot better than I thought it would. I was worried you'd freak out more than you did."_

"_Oh, on the contrary, we are very worried. We all worry for you, our class's second brightest beacon! Such a mysterious power must be quite unsettling to live with, and it would break our hearts if it became too much for you, friend! We will make certain, however, that you continue to sparkle as you do, you mighty cobalt warrior!"_ Yuga exclaimed, just as flashy and boisterous in everybody's heads as he was outside of them.

Izuku smiled where he was, everybody feeling his gratitude. _"Anyway, the flashy, floaty, mind-reading stuff is not a quirk. The super strength, though, that's a quirk. I...kinda went overboard in training at one point, and the quirk was force-manifested. It's part of the reason why it's so dangerous to me. My body didn't awaken it naturally, and I'm not too keen on using it if I don't have to, all things considered," _ he explained, reminding himself that the only reason he was lying was to protect them, in hopes of pushing the guilt he felt from the half-truth from his mind. Thankfully, it was enough, as none of them seemed to notice anything amiss.

As Izuku entered the room, Momo nodded, and decided to continue the subject telepathically instead of verbally. _"That's unusual, but it's not the first time something came out of nowhere and changed how humanity worked. You were right to keep it a secret, though. Quirk-trafficking is already a huge problem, and if the wrong people found out that you have something that isn't a quirk, but is quirk-like, you and the people you care about could be put in danger. Needless to say, none of us will be talking about it out loud. No sign language, either. Sorry, Koda-san. Cameras can catch things like that if we're not careful,"_ the class rep said, with the gathered friends agreeing.

Izuku poked his index fingers together nervously. _"Well, then, would it be okay if, occasionally, I used my mind reading in class? I'd ask for permission first, obviously, and I'd probably only need to do it with two or three of you at a time, but it would help me with preventing it from going all over the place. We can set up rules, obviously, because I doubt you'd want me staying in your heads more than necessary!"_ the verdette requested, his nervousness coming through full force as he asked it.

"_Well, as long as he doesn't do it during a test or anything, I think it'd be fine, Partner!"_ Dark Shadow said, surprising himself when he realized the others heard him. _"Wait, you guys can hear me? Independent of Fumikage?!"_

Katsuki turned to Fumikage, though it was obvious his annoyed look was meant for Dark Shadow, and not the boy he was housed within. _"Of course we can, Bird Brain. You're a sentient quirk. You have a mind of your own. Otherwise, you'd be a carbon copy of Birdier Brain, and the two of you are nothing a-fucking-like,"_ the ash-blond explained, reminding everybody at the table that, despite his rough exterior, he was actually kinda smart.

"_It is as I've forseen. You are no tool, Dark Shadow. You are my partner, and our bond is eternal,"_ Fumikage said, a smile on his face as he spoke.

Momo smiled. _"Well said, Tokoyami-san. As for Midoriya-san's request, I'll volunteer for it,"_ the best chemist amongst them responded. In minutes, they all volunteered for 'comms duty', as Katsuki called it, with the express rule that if somebody needed Izuku out of their head, he would leave then and there. Other rules would be worked out soon enough.

Tooru's giddy voice spoke through the link. _"You can't see it, but I'm grinning so hard right now! Argh! I have so many awesome feelings, and I can't properly express them! I thought this would be enough, but it's not!"_ the invisible girl exclaimed, her frustration at her own quirk being felt by all of them, having switched from happy to irritated suddenly.

Tenya frowned, and despite his best efforts, his arms moved as if he were speaking out loud. _"That sounds incredibly frustrating, Hagakure-san. Do you have this problem often?"_ the motorized man asked, getting an eye roll from several of their friends at the table for his obliviousness to how she typically acted.

Mina patted the girl's shoulder. _"Only every single day, Iida-kun. I had thought you'd noticed, considering how diligent you are with everything else in class,"_ the black-eyed girl admonished.

Tenya let out a sigh, his head drooping in shame. _"I'm afraid I've never been the best at recognizing things like this. Many social cues escape me, no matter how much I study to learn them,"_ the blue blur confessed.

Ochako smiled, a hint of a laugh coming from her. _"I guess we all have problems we need to work on. Maybe we can help each other with them?"_ she suggested, her eyes brightening with anticipation.

Sadness oozed from Tooru. _"I don't know how you'd help me. The technology just doesn't exist for what I want. I want to turn my quirk off, even if it's just for a few minutes! I don't even know what color my hair and eyes are! Do I have freckles? What color is my skin? It's so frustrating not knowing! I'm glad I have my quirk, and that I'll be able to save people with it, but it's really upsetting!"_ the girl basically wailed in their heads.

Everybody comforted the girl, having a basic understanding of her plight, while Izuku privately began thinking up places he could look to find a solution to his new friends' problems.

Later, At The Arcade

Each of the students separated a bit, forming smaller groups depending on what game they each felt like playing. Momo, Katsuki, Tenya, Izuku, and Ochako, had moved over to the Mario Kart booths, though Momo refrained from playing herself, simply wanting to keep track of her classmates, and deciding that Izuku would be helpful for that. She occasionally would ask him about the general mood and location of their classmates, and he would answer after a moment of checking in with them. The only one not having the best time was Katsuki, who was simultaneously impressed and furious at how good Izuku was doing.

"How are you this good, you fucking nerd?! I get that you're smart and all, but you've never had friends over to play this with, so how?!" Katsuki asked as, once again, he came in second, Izuku having placed first again.

Izuku poked his index fingers together nervously. "I played online enough to get good at it, I guess?" the nervous boy responded.

"RAAAAGH! WE'RE GOING AGAIN! I'LL BEAT YOU THIS TIME, YOU SHITTY NERD!" Katsuki erupted, grinning despite his tone.

"Hey, is that Bakugou Katsuki I hear?" a voice called out from further away. Upon hearing it, Izuku shuddered, and Katsuki snarled, not liking what might happen next.

"Don't make any sudden movements, Izuku. I'm gonna be quiet for a bit. If we're lucky, the fuckers will give up soon, and they won't even know we were here," Katsuki whispered softly, his eyes moving around to check where their classmates were. Several of them had looked over when they heard Katsuki's name get called, so that was good.

Unfortunately for them, though, Murphy's Law was a bitch. One or two of their old classmates must have spotted Katsuki, because in less than a minute, he was surrounded by his old posse. "Hey, Bakugou-san! It's been ages! How have things been?" the one who'd called out earlier asked.

The explosive blond didn't respond, fuming in silence in the hopes that they'd lose interest and leave. However, it seemed that Tenya had different ideas.

"Excuse me, all of you, but you're bothering our friend Izuku here," the honest speedster said, moving to intervene, "I must ask that you leave us be. I'm aware enough of the situation that I do not want you here."

"Wait, little defenseless Deku is here? Oh, right, he is! Look, the little twerp is already on the verge of tears!" one of them exclaimed, and they were right.

"Oi. I'm giving you fuckers to the count of ten to get out of here, or I'm turning you into mini fireworks displays," Katsuki said in an even tone, doing his best to tone himself down.

"Why do you care? You were the worst of us after all. Heck, I remember you suggested that he could get a quirk if he killed himself and reincarnated! You had a smile on your face and everything!" another one of the mooks reminded him, and the boy looked down to his feet in shame.

A hand was suddenly in his, Izuku having reached out for it even as he was breaking down himself. Katsuki grasped it, tightening his grip enough to let his friend know he was there, and that he appreciated the help.

This time, it was Momo and Ochako who tried to defuse the situation. Creating a blanket, Momo placed it onto Izuku's shoulders, and then repeated the action for Katsuki, who accepted the act of kindness regardless of his normal demeanor. Ochako, on the other hand, was a bit more direct. "Leave. You're ruining our outing, and it's really pissing me off," the brunette said sternly, a steely look in her normally soft and bright eyes.

"Hah! You, take all of us? Bring it, pint-size! I wonder if I'll get to take your place at U.A. if I beat you hard enough!" one of them said, putting up their fists.

Ochako growled. "I'll make you all astronauts in the next few minutes if you don't split right now," she snarled, moving her hands to unleash palm strikes if they became too rowdy.

"I'd suggest listening to her. It's not rockin' to do it to morons like you, but she _will_ send you to space if you piss her off enough," a voice from a little further away said. Izuku and Katsuki looked up in surprise and relief. The rest of their friends had arrived, Kyouka and Mezo leading the pack, having apparently heard what was going on and gathering everybody. Everybody except for…

"Wait, where are Tokoyami-san and Dark Shadow-san?" Momo asked, noticing their unexplained absence. If the gathering of so many opponents hadn't convinced the bullies to leave, what happened next would.

"**I will devour your souls, and use your bones as toothpicks as I clean my teeth of the meat of your insignificant mortal bodies!"** a distorted voice spoke from a dark corner of the room, the rest of class 1-A recognizing the synchronized voices of Fumikage and Dark Shadow as the source of the sound. A large red eye opened, covering most of the wall in the area. **"It's time for a feast!"**

The bullies fled with gusto, and Dark Shadow and Fumikage laughed separately, no longer syncing their voices, the two of them coming out of the shadowy area, with the quirk going back within his user. "Revelry in the dark," the boy said simply, a smug grin on his face. He let out a squawk, though, when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped him in a hug, Izuku having moved from his seated position to hug him. Dark Shadow came out, startled, and then was startled even more when he received a hug as well.

Izuku spent the next few minutes just going around and hugging his classmates, most of them commenting on how sweet the green bean was, everybody smiling about it regardless. At the end of it, Izuku was hugging Katsuki, who he stayed attached to a bit longer than the others. _"Are you okay, Kacchan?"_ he asked, concern being sent through the link.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. _"I'll be okay. I think I should come clean to our class about how crappy I was to you, though. I don't wanna see that sappy look on your face while I'm doing that, though, so go grab a snack with Uraraka-san or something. If she doesn't already know the story, tell her about it for me, got it?"_

Izuku nodded, and walked over to Ochako, who was still a bit dazed from the sudden hug, having enjoyed it a lot more than she was used to. "Um, Uraraka-chan and I are gonna go get some snacks. Kacchan says he wants to talk to you guys a bit," Izuku said quietly, a shy smile on his face, as he grabbed Ochako's hand, causing them both to feel all fuzzy now, and ran off, dragging the gravity-manipulating gal with him.

Katsuki rolled his eyes, chuckling softly at the two of them. "Oblivious dorks. They're turning me fucking soft. Anyway, listen good, because this is more than just an explanation of the bullshit I pulled in middle school. I've got actual important info to tell you, to keep that green little moron safe. Get in close so I don't need to talk loud. Now, where to fucking begin…" he said, looking into his hands as he contemplated.

"How you met sounds like a reasonable place to start," Hanta suggested with a shrug.

Katsuki nodded. "It does. Thanks. So, his mom and mine were friends in school. The two of them went separate ways at some point, and when she came back into my mom's life, she came with a three-year-old green bean. No father. Not that I'd want to meet the bastard, dude was a fucking supervillain, apparently. So, three-year-old me, I'm the rude, angry piece of shit I am today, just smaller and less intelligent. I get this little freckled punk put in front of me, and I'm told to be his friend. He was insufferably nice. Punk was sunshine and rainbows back then, just like he is today. I fucking hated it.

"Anyway, being the dumb shit I was, I pretended I was his friend, but I was an utter bastard to him. I'd hoped that he would take the hint and bother some other kid, but he was stubborn. Clung to me like eggs to a pan when you fuck up preparing them. Eventually, I just went to outright bullying him, instead of just being a crappy friend. It got even worse when I got my quirk, and he didn't. 'What do you know? Deku's quirkless!' I got a boost to my ego that I didn't deserve at all, and he started getting burn marks that he didn't deserve at all," Katsuki continued, glaring at his hand as if it had personally offended him.

"Then, a few years later, I learned something fucked up, and I learned it the worst way possible, and reacted in a less than stellar manner. I'm exploding Izuku like usual, and I went too far. His back got messed up, and he passed out, and I saw it. Clear as fucking day, evidence that I'd fucked up. This next bit doesn't get to those two lovesick dorks, all right?" He looked everybody in the eyes upon saying this, waiting for each of them to nod, though Tooru had to say out loud that she wouldn't say a thing. "I was purposefully vague to Iida-san when I told him about it, but Izuku trusts you mooks, so I think it'll be okay to just say it flat out. It's covered up well, but there's a fucking _plug_ in his back. I'd knocked the cover off with that stunt. I don't know all the details behind it, but Izuku's mom made it clear that he's a victim of some messed up shit. I don't know if this is where his unique quirk comes from or not, but it's really freaky, and if it gets knocked off again in practice and I'm not there to do damage control, I need you guys to do that for me. Unless it's Four-eyes here. No offense, but you couldn't deceive somebody to save your life."

Everybody there had looks of concern on their faces. Then, Mashirao decided to ask the obvious question. "What happened next, then?"

Katsuki frowned. "I knocked out everybody there before they could see it, and kept knocking out people who showed up until Izuku woke up. I stopped being violent to him after that, but at that point, I'd already fucked up enough that I couldn't bring myself to try and patch things up between us. I kept bullying him, but I stuck to verbal abuse. That all changed recently, though, obviously. It's...kinda scary how it happened, and how easily it could have gone wrong. Remember that sludge villain incident from last year?" Everybody nodded, waiting for Katsuki to continue. "That sentient turd grabbed a middle school student and had his quirk going off all over the place, making it dangerous to approach. The news said that All Might was the only hero to come to that idiot kid's rescue, but that's a lie. There was one more hero that day. I was that idiot kid, and before All Might could jump in, Izuku, that glorious motherfucker, ran right past the barricade to save my dumb ass. He didn't even know his quirk could be used offensively until it picked up some debris and started flinging it at the villain. All he knew was that I was fucking terrified, and he didn't want _his friend_ to die alone."

Katsuki looked up, a hint of a smile on his face. "That day, Deku died. In his place stood Izuku, the hero with the bleeding heart. I still don't know why he forgave me for all of my crap, but I'm not going to fuck up this time. I'll become worthy of his friendship, and I'll be a hero worthy to stand with him!" he said, his smile turning to a grin as he clenched his palm into a fist.

Everybody hesitated for a moment, not sure how they should react to the revelation that Katsuki had been such a bully for so long. The first to come around was Eijiro, who walked up to the ash blond and placed his hand on his shoulder. "It was super unmanly to bully Midoriya-san like you used to, but it's kind of obvious that you're working really hard to repair your friendship with him. I think that's pretty awesome, honestly. A heroic comeback completely unlike the kind that happens in a fight. I like it!" the red head exclaimed, smashing his hardened fists together excitedly.

Mina skipped over to them as well. "My horn buddy is right! Bakusplodey here is one of us, just like Midori-chan!" she cheered with a pump of her fist.

Next, Fumikage joined their small group. "Why fear the inevitable?" he asked.

Dark Shadow emerged to pose with the group. "After all, friendship is inevitable!" the quirk added, finishing his partner's statement.

One by one, each of the members of 1-A joined with the group, each muttering the catchphrase they'd unconsciously claimed for themselves. Soon enough, Izuku and Ochako returned to see the group looking happier than they'd left them, the snacks they'd carried over nearly dropped when Izuku started glowing blue with glee and losing concentration on his half of the load for an instant.

The two of them were a bit startled when Tenya appeared behind them, and grabbed them up in a hug, carrying them over to the rest of the group. "Come along, you two! Our class isn't complete without you!" he exclaimed. Everybody chuckled for a moment before remembering that, even with that, their class wasn't complete, and the mood soured a little.

"Todoroki-san…" Momo mumbled, a bit sad that he decided not to show up.

Katsuki growled, then let out a noisy roar. "DID YOU GUYS FUCKING FORGET ALREADY?! FRIENDSHIP IS INEVITABLE! Icy-hot will join us, and we'll all be one big fucking happy family, GOT IT?!"

The mood visibly brightened, and everybody silently agreed. Shoto would be part of their group. By the end of the day, they had a group photo. Mina edited it to have text at the bottom, and several members of the group made it their wallpaper. The text read as such:

Join the Friend Side. We have cookies.


	8. Chapter 8

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Eight_

A/N: Every previous chapter, and this chapter up to chapter ten, once had the names in English naming. I have altered the naming theme as best as I could to Japanese. As of this chapter's uploading, every other chapter currently posted will have been replaced with the updated version. Other minor changes have been made as well, none that anybody would need to reread old chapters for. As of right now, 5/17/2020, I have up to chapter eleven completed. That chapter, and all after, will hopefully feel a bit cleaner, since I won't have to alter the naming theme in them, simply writing them like this in the first place. As always, thank you to my editors, and thank you to all my friends who encouraged me to keep this going, and my readers and reviewers. Each of you helps keep me going. PLUS ULTRA!

"Normal speech."

"**Buff Might/AI speech."**

'_Thoughts without intent to share ideas. Some will be heard by Izuku regardless of intent.'_

"_Thoughts with intent to share ideas and words with Izuku/Telepathy."_

'Sign language.'

A Few Days Later, In Class 1-A

Class 1-A was abuzz with activity, still cracking jokes about events from the outing. Fumikage and Dark Shadow had been given the title Sith Apprentice, due to their actions in the arcade, much to the amusement of both boy and quirk. When Izuku pointed out that one of them should be the Sith Master, since the Rule of Two was a big deal in the Star Wars universe, everybody in the know laughed.

"Look at the Dark Lord of the Sith trying to divert attention away from his sithliness! We're onto you, Darth Midori! You can't make us forget your display of the Dark Side on the second day of school!" Denki joked, incidentally reminding Izuku that he should think about how his powers looked to bystanders. He didn't want them to look at him and be afraid, after all!

As most of the class was chatting, Shoto was simply sitting in silence, brooding as usual. His father was grumpier than normal, and had started pushing him in his training again. Shoto would ask him what was making him upset, but he didn't care at this point. As the chilliest boy in class wandered amongst his own thoughts, a slip of paper made its way onto his desk, Izuku having directed it there with his quirk, looking incredibly nervous, and Katsuki, the one who tossed it originally, a manic grin on his face. The paper read as such:

"Friendship is inevitable, Icy-hot!"

Shoto rolled his eyes, then looked over to Katsuki again, the boy's grin having widened to comical levels. Shoto sighed and froze the paper in an instant, then shattered it, letting his thoughts be known on the matter. Koji, Mina, and Eijiro, who had been simultaneously chatting in and teaching Eijiro Sign, sighed at the failed gesture. Eijiro, being the manly creature that he is, decided to use it as a learning experience, taking his cheat sheet out, and finger spelling, Rude!

Mina giggled conspiratorially as she and Koji helped Eijiro correct the bits he got wrong, having an idea for an addition to their class's catchphrase. I have a horrible, wonderful idea! she signed to her horn buddy with a grin. The aforementioned plan would have to wait until later, though.

The door to their classroom opened, and in walked Aizawa, carrying some pamphlets. The class became silent the instant he entered, not wanting to make him any grumpier than he typically was. He looked at his students and let out an audible sigh. "Your fight is far from over," he said ominously, and considering what kind of person he was, everybody in class was on the edge of their seats, nervous energy pulsing through them. Thus, they all received mood whiplash when he elaborated, "U.A.'s Sports Festival is fast approaching."

Tenya rose from his seat, a look of concern plain to see on his face. "Don't you think it's too soon for something like this? We may have done well in repelling them, but U.A. just suffered a villain attack!" the droid-like hero exclaimed, arms chopping at speed.

Eraserhead gave out a sigh. "It's necessary to demonstrate that U.A.'s crisis management protocols are sound. That's the thinking with the people in charge, anyway. Compared to past years, there'll be five times the police presence, plus a little extra that's too much of a pain to explain in full detail. Anyhow, our sports festival is the greatest opportunity you'll get from this school. It's not an event that can be cancelled over a few villains," the sleep-deprived pro explained, several of his students giving tells of nervousness and/or excitement, understanding dawning on them all.

Shota intensified his gaze before continuing. "This event happens once a year. You'll each get three opportunities to impress the pros, so make them count," he added, a bit of a grin on his face as he finished, "Let them know who you are, Plus Ultra style."

Everybody got excited upon hearing this, outside of Shoto, who was stuck in his own train of thought. Aizawa rolled his eyes, his bit of good mood spent, and announced, "I'm going to take a nap. Take some time to study, or don't. Just don't do anything illegal or typical of a problem child." And with that, he became a yellow caterpillar once more, zipping his sleeping bag up around him and dropping to the ground, where he started snoring immediately.

As was to be expected, nobody really got any studying done. Ochako stood up from her seat and began exuding an aura of power, her face darkening with determination. "Midoriya-kun...I'M GONNA DO MY BEST!" she roared suddenly, raising her fist in the air, with Izuku doing the same, her enthusiasm bleeding over to him as he let out a roar of badassery as well.

"EVERYONE! I'M GONNA DO MY BEST!" she roared again, though everybody else was more subdued in their responding cheer. A piece of chalk was tossed from Aizawa's corner, and beaned Ochako in the forehead, causing the girl to calm down. "Sorry, Sensei."

Izuku, after that, just smiled. His power sure picked an interesting person to bond with. The boy got back to his notebooks, now part way through fourteen, which consisted almost entirely of his classmates. He made sure to leave a few pages blank between each classmate for updates that would undoubtedly come about. On his own page, he put down the basics, but focused more on combinations he could make with his classmates, liking the idea of working together with his friends. He'd already decided on names for several of their team-ups, like with Ochako, the attacks were listed under G-Force. So far, he had a few, but some of his classmates had quirks that he couldn't figure out how to work with in conjunction with his own power. He smiled fondly at the ideas for Blast Force and Speed Force, having gotten closer with Katsuki and Tenya lately.

Momo, seated directly behind Izuku now that Minoru was gone, leaned forward to look at his notebook. "Those are some nice combo moves there, Midoriya-san. I like the naming theme, too. Do you have any for teaming up with me?" she asked, curious.

The greenette jumped a bit in his seat, but turned around with a smile. "I have some stored in my head, but I'm waiting until you get your upgraded hero outfit in case I can add improvements to them. I'm torn between calling our team up moves' names Omni Force, since we'd be able to perform omni-directional attacks with several ideas I've thought of, or ReinForce, since my aura particles can apparently be used to make unbreakable substances, though I have no clue how that's done," he explained, a sheepish smile on his face as he poked his index fingers together, then confessed, "I don't have enough information on your quirk to know if such moves would be possible, anyway." Saying this, he turned to her page in his notebook.

Momo gasped, seeing a drawing of her in her school uniform, along with some detailed notes about her quirk and mannerisms, along with ideas for more creative uses of her quirk. Fascinated, she reached forward and picked the notebook up, looking at it in more detail, before realizing something, and turning several of the pages, finding entries on all of their classmates. "Izuku, you gathered all this info? You take great effort to not look into our heads with your quirk without permission, so was this all done without it?" she asked.

Katsuki, feeling better upon being reminded of his friend's talent, let out a quick bark of laughter. "That's not even the craziest thing. Take a look at the title on the front, Class Rep," he said with a gleam in his eyes.

She did as the ash blond said, and her eyes widened. "Volume Fourteen? There are thirteen other notebooks with your hero analyses in them?" she asked, giving the book back to Izuku as she looked at the boy with a bit of awe.

Izuku nodded. "Yeah. Volume Fourteen is being reserved for you guys, though. I've got volume fifteen in my backpack right now. I have several pages blank for each of you, since I'll probably have that much to put in it, along with space for whoever ends up taking Minoru-san's place," he commented. Hearing this, several classmates made their way over, hoping to see their entries.

As everybody was admiring Izuku's notebook entries, Shoto rose from his seat, and made his way to the group. "Midoriya-san," he said, and everybody went silent, turning to look at him. The Prince Zuko expy ignored the looks they gave him, and simply said, "I would like to talk to you after lunch. One on one, please."

Izuku simply nodded. "Sure. Thanks for asking ahead of time. I've got something to check out during lunch, so that really helps," he replied, doing his best to maintain eye contact, despite the other boy's frosty gaze. His piece said, Shoto returned to his seat. Momo watched as he walked away, a look of concern on her face.

Everybody went back to looking at their entries in Izuku's book or studying, and before long, the bell rang, signalling the start of their next class.

Later, During Lunch

Izuku, having gotten his lunch and Ochako's, walked with her outside the main campus building, floating their trays and preventing any portions of their lunches from falling over or flying away as they walked and ate, talking exclusively through their bond. The two of them were in a good mood, with Izuku having convinced her to tell a few of their new friends her reasoning for getting into heroics, the girl feeling incredibly relieved upon finding out he was right, and that everybody who'd been told found her reasoning to be acceptable, even admirable. Now, though, they were nearing the location Izuku had led them to.

"_So, you're saying you can _feel_ the presence of your new armor? How do you mean?"_ Ochako asked, curious.

Izuku had to think for a moment to properly describe it. _"I guess it's the same way I feel my arm or my leg, which is weird, since the armor isn't connected to me. I'm just aware that it's there, and able to move it at any time. I've not done much moving of it, since it's still undergoing maintenance and having software updates installed, but I want to talk to the girl working on it in person, since my communication through it is limited while those updates are being worked on,"_ the greenette explained, taking a sip of his water. _"Do you want any of my food? I get that you have to budget and all that, but I'd be glad to share some of my lunch with you. Heck, Mom basically gave you permission to come over whenever you feel like it, and that includes for meals."_

Ochako blushed at the suggestion, being aware enough of Izuku's childhood that he didn't understand the implications of the two of them sharing food. _"Ya don't hafta give me any of yer lunch, Izuku-kun! I do think I'll be coming over more often to spend time with you and yer ma, though,"_ she answered with a warm smile. _"I like the feelin' of being near the two of ya. It's like a little piece of home away from home. I wanna introduce you and yer ma to my folks sometime, too. I think they'd like the two of ya."_

Izuku grinned despite his blush at her decision to start calling him with a less informal name. _"That sounds like it would be fun! Your parents are such nice people, and I think I could really get along with your dad, both of us being born quirkless and all. Regardless, please let me know if you're ever low on food or any other supplies. This bond means we're in this together, accidental or not, and you're my best friend, so that's two reasons right there to make sure you're healthy and happy. Don't make me make a list, because I've already thought of two more in the past few minutes!"_ he responded, his grin turning sillier as he spoke.

Ochako smiled back. _"When did I get promoted to best friend? I thought that was Bakugou-san's position,"_ she retorted.

Izuku looked down, placing the food he'd been about to put in his mouth back on the plate, a thoughtful expression on his face. _"I mean, he's my best friend, too. It's just...I don't know how to explain it. What I have with him and what I have with you feel different, but they're both incredible. I'm not exactly the best at understanding relationships, but you're both my dearest friends,"_ he said, then grinned at her and added, _"I guess I have two best friends! I'm pretty lucky, huh?"_

Ochako's heart skipped a beat. _'Did he just confess to crushing on me without realizing? No, maybe he's crushing on Bakugou-san, and I'm the platonic best friend. I can't just assume things like that. He hasn't known me nearly long enough to like me like that, anyway. Why though...Why does the idea of him liking Bakugou-san more than me make me sad?'_ the girl thought to herself, doing her best not to broadcast to him, and apparently succeeding, if the innocent, confused look on his face was anything to go by. _"Sorry, I just had to think about what you said for a second. That is really nice, though! I'm glad I can be one of your best friends, Izuku-kun!"_ she responded, getting a smile in return.

The two of them kept silent for the rest of the walk, knowing they were near their destination. A moment before they got there, though, a thought crossed Ochako's mind. _'Izuku's straight, though…'_ she remembered, a bit of hope blossoming in her confused heart.

Having finished their lunches en route, they started speaking verbally again. "Well, we're here. This is where the Support Course keeps their bigger projects, from what I've heard. Normally, I wouldn't have a key, but one was installed into Unit 0, so I just have to bring it out of storage…" Izuku said, then startled Ochako when a door opened on the side of the building, and the armor walked out, and made its way over to the door they were standing in front of. It pointed a finger out at the door, and a beeping sound was heard, along with the sound of a lock unlocking.

Izuku sent Unit 0 back to its docking station, and opened the door, where a student with bright pink hair-tentacle things, and yellow eyes shaped like crosshairs, stood waiting, oil stains and a few cuts here and there making her outfit and body messier than they normally were...probably. "Hello, Midoriya-chan! I was expecting you to make your way over here sometime soon! Oh, and you brought Uraraka-chan, too! Good, she's part of this conversation, too! Now come on in, and I'll tell you both about the baby I made for you!" she exclaimed, confusing the two with the baby comment, and turned around to walk back in, not waiting for them to follow.

Izuku looked at Ochako and shrugged, Ochako rolling her eyes in response. _"Just go with it, I guess?"_ he suggested nervously. The two walked into the workshop, which led into the hangar where hero vehicles and such were kept. A few heroes working on campus had vehicles that went with their hero identities. Izuku nearly had a fangasm upon seeing the car typically driven by David Shield when he would support All Might. Izuku supposed that since David was on I-Island, the car was driven by AI when All Might wasn't driving.

After getting to the back of the building, where the girl was working on something on her workbench, Izuku cleared his throat, getting the pink-haired engineer to stop. "Oh, sorry. I just try to use any spare time I have to work on my babies. This one I'm putting together right now is a shield unit for you, Midoriya-chan! It'll be able to float around separately from Unit 0 for both defensive and offensive maneuvers, and it can dock onto Unit 0 as well! Anyway, I'm sure you have questions. I can't guarantee I can answer all of them, but I'll answer what I can!" the girl exclaimed, clearly very happy to see them.

Izuku chuckled nervously. "Well, first of all, I want to know why you wanted to work on my gear specifically. I heard that you insisted, and since Unit 0 is nothing like the armor I originally commissioned, I assume you've been working on it a lot longer than the beginning of the school year, which has me a bit worried," he said, hoping to get the hard question out of the way.

Not missing a beat, the pinkette started talking. "Well, you see, a little over a decade ago, there was an incident, and I met-"

Izuku and Ochako blinked in confusion. One second, Mei had been standing there, and the next, she was gone. Try as he might, Izuku couldn't sense her anywhere on campus. He was about to panic and call a teacher, when she appeared once again.

"Ugh, sorry. Your _benefactor_ is a butt, and doesn't want you hearing all the juicy bits from me. She'd much rather tell you herself when she's ready. Sorry if that freaked you out, by the way. I didn't get teleported away or anything. She just removed your perception of me for a second to chew me out," the girl said, then blinked in confusion. "Oh, she's right, I haven't properly introduced myself yet! Hatsume Mei, mad engineer, and inhaler of caffeinated beverages, at your service! Anyway, to the parts of your question I can answer, the reason I want to work on your armor so badly is personal, and involves my friendship with your benefactor. And yes, I did start working on it prior to the school year starting. Perks of being a friend of your benefactor include access to those particles your aura makes, as well as certain bits of knowledge on how they work. I was able to build the armor itself pretty quickly. The hard part was programming the interface with your armor and the AI. Any flawed programs were unacceptable for reasons I'm not at liberty to explain. Your ability to connect to the armor has to be seamless and more importantly, _secure as fuck."_

Izuku nodded. "So I guess you have to keep updating it all the time, then?" he asked.

Mei cackled. "Who the hell do you think I am? I've uninstalled it already! You're synched to it now, via your powers. It's like how you're connected to your fingers and ears! You don't have to think about moving it so much as you have to move it! The really tricky parts were making it so you could hear and see through it, but I got that going too, because sleep is for the weak!" the girl exclaimed.

Izuku frowned a bit, and moved slightly to stand between this girl and Ochako. "One more question. Is my 'benefactor' connected to my asshole of a sperm donor?" Izuku asked, glowing green and getting ready in case he had to fight.

Mei blinked, surprised. "She's right, you _are_ good. Thankfully, she has the perfect way to show her intent. Just give it a second. She's not as good as you are at this," the pinkette said, confusing Izuku and Ochako for a few seconds before he _felt_ it, with Ochako feeling it as well via their bond. Affection. Concern. Hope. Pride. Joy. Relief. If Izuku didn't know any better, he'd think he was sensing the feelings of his mother, but he could still sense her in their home, completely separate from this presence. He could tell that these feelings weren't lies, either. He felt the ghosts of memories from this person, no, this girl, he somehow realized. They were connected in some way, even if he couldn't see the memories properly, he knew he was a part of them in some way.

Ochako brought him out of his reverie with a light squeeze of her hand in his, Izuku having not even noticed when they'd joined hands, nor who initiated it. The red-shoed boy turned his gaze back to Mei. "C-can I have a name...for my benefactor, I mean. It's kind of weird to just call her Benefactor-san, after all," the startled boy asked, a nervous smile on his face.

The mad inventor grinned. "She goes by Aureck for people she doesn't want to know her actual name. She got into Star Wars at some point, and decided on a letter from the in-universe alphabet to use as her pseudonym. She wants you to know her for real, but she's afraid of stuff and whatnot. I keep telling her she doesn't need to be afraid of it, but she's messed up in the head, and coming from me, that's saying something!" she exclaimed. Her face softened a bit, and she added, "I think connecting to more people will be good for her, honestly. There are four people besides me that she's opened up to, but that's just not enough."

This time, Ochako stepped forward. "Um, I don't mean to sound intrusive, but how is she getting on campus? I mean, assuming she works with you on the armor here, and not from some rundown warehouse on the other side of town or anything," the brunette asked, joking a little about this girl's desire to keep her identity secret.

The reticule-eyed girl held a finger up, her grin becoming upbeat again. "Oh, that's easy. She's a staff member's adopted daughter. The head honchos have her whitelisted with the security system because of this. Plus, the technology necessary to contain her isn't exactly something we've invented yet, so this is also so that the alarm isn't tripped pointlessly when she comes and goes. It was a nightmare for the staff the first couple weeks after she decided this place was safe enough to turn into her hangout, apparently. There was an entire plan to try and capture her to keep her from doing anything harmful, but they realized she was harmless quickly enough. Heck, if villains come near the campus while she's here, she'll occasionally help repel them! Speaking of which, boy, was she pissed when she got back from a weeklong break from bullshit yesterday! She's been hovering around the people she feels attached to more than usual lately, though good luck finding out where she is at any given time! I could tell you, but you've seen what she can do about people blabbing things!" the girl snickered.

Izuku and Ochako both chuckled, then started stuttering in confusion when Mei started blinking in and out of existence in a pattern. Izuku gaped like a fish when he realized what was going on. "Is...Is she using her power to turn you into Morse Code? Did she just shoo us away?" Izuku asked, having a basic knowledge of the obtuse language.

Mei rolled her eyes. "Ugh. She's getting grumpy because I said more than she really wanted again, but since she allowed me to say so much of it in the first place, I guess she isn't actually that mad. Regardless, you should get going. I've got to work more on my babies. I'm already thinking of new upgrades to Unit 0, and I need to get that stuff figured out soon! Now shoo!" the girl explained, then went back to her machines.

The two of them went to leave, but as they were getting to the door, Izuku turned around, and brought up something he'd thought he'd have to wait for later to figure out. "Hey, um, Hatsume-san? Thanks for the armor and all that, and for being Aureck-san's friend. I have another favor, though, if you have time. Heck, if you don't, just passing it along to another member of the support course would-"

"OUT OF THE QUESTION! Tell me what you need, and I'll make a baby to get it done! There's nothing I can't do!" the pinkette exclaimed.

After recovering from the outburst, Izuku and Ochako both chuckled. "Well, we have a friend with an invisibility quirk in our class, and she said a couple days ago at an outing that she really wishes she knew what she looked like. Is there anything you can develop to let her deactivate her quirk temporarily?" the empath asked.

Mei waved a gloved hand at them. "It'll take a while, but I can do that. Now skedaddle! I've got babies to make!" she exclaimed.

Ochako laughed nervously. "Don't lose too much sleep over it, though. She'll be here a while, after all," the brunette said.

"I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD, NOW SHOO! My babies don't just invent themselves!"

With that, the two heroics course students fled from the mad engineer.

After Lunch, In Heroics Class

The class was doing one on one sparring, and since there were only so many teachers, Izuku and Shoto managed to move a ways away from the class, to have their own one on one.

Izuku took a seat on top of a bench in the fake city, patting the spot next to him. Shoto shook his head, and simply stood nearby. "Well, we're far enough that the only people who might hear us are Jiro-san and Shoji-san, and the two of them know better than to listen in on something like this. If that's not enough, we can use my telepathy, if you'd like?" the greenette informed the frigid inferno beside him, offering to make their conversation even more private.

Shoto surprised him with his response. 'How about we talk like this? Nobody in our class has the ability to see through walls, after all,' he suggested in sign, and indeed, he was right. They had moved to the other side of a building to get to this bench, and nobody in their class had a quirk to see through solid objects.

Izuku nodded. 'Where do you want to start? I'm not a psychologist or anything, but I know talking about the problem can help. If it's bad enough, though, I will have to at least suggest you talk to a professional,' he replied.

Shoto sighed. 'Let's start with what you've already figured out. Mind telling me that?' he asked.

Izuku looked down in shame. 'Sorry. I try really hard not to hear the private thoughts of others, but you have so much hurt in you, that the feelings attached to those thoughts make them hard _not_ to hear. What I have gathered so far is that your father hurt you and your other family members. Your hate for him is tremendous, only surpassed by the regret you feel for not being able to protect your siblings and mother. That's about it, though. Is there anything more you want to talk about?' he asked, lifting his head up again.

Shoto looked him dead in the eyes. 'What do you know about quirk marriages?' he asked.

Izuku rubbed his temples for a second, then replied, 'Enough to know that this just became a headache and a half. You're the result of a quirk marriage? Your dad must be really high up the ladder to be able to get away with that in this day and age, though I guess he got away with it at least fourteen years ago, so it makes a bit more sense. Judging by your quirk and name, I'd guess you're Endeavor's son, but you know what they say about assuming. Am I correct?'

Shoto nodded. 'Calling me his son is a bit of a stretch, though. I'm what he calls his masterpiece, not his son. He wants me to surpass All Might, but I don't really care about that. Speaking of which, you and All Might seem a bit close, from what I've seen. My dad will want me to defeat you, since he hates All Might so much, and I will. However…' At this, Shoto stopped signing, and spoke. "I'll beat you only with my mom's power. I'll show that bastard I don't need his power."

Izuku frowned and got up. "I don't think it's healthy to view your quirk like that, but the teachers will be able to help you with that if you let them. Uraraka-san just told me you and I are going to be needed for the lesson soon, so let's head back. And Todoroki-san? Thank you. It was very brave of you to tell me about this. I won't go blabbing, obviously, and I'll need to do a bit of poking around to figure out more of the situation, but if he hurts you where I can see it, I'm going to protect you, okay?" he said, then walked past him, the boy glowing green suddenly. Feeling safe for a moment, Shoto smiled a little, enjoying the feeling of the green glow.

When he got back to the class, he spotted Katsuki grinning at him. "What is it, Bakugou-san?" he asked.

"You're already becoming one of us," he said ominously, causing several of their classmates to bust a gut, a few of them belting out the new 1-A motto.

Shoto rolled his eyes. His classmates are weird, but that's okay. He's a bit weird, too.

Later On, At The End Of The School Day

Eraserhead sighed audibly upon hearing the bell signalling the end of the day. "All right, you little terrors. Get out of my classroom," he said, then left quickly, apparently having work to do.

Each of the students of 1-A grabbed their things, and headed to the door. Eijiro, who got there first, let out a sound of surprise. "What gives?" he asked suddenly, prompting the others to get over to the door.

A crowd of students from the other classes were waiting outside of the classroom, staring them down. The tension in the air was heavy, all things considered. A blond boy made his way to the front of the crowd, and started on a tirade.

"You class 1-A fools have looked down on us in 1-B for far too long! You think you're all high and mighty because you fought off real villains?! Well, this sports festival, we'll show you all our combined might, and crush you with it!" he exclaimed manically.

Izuku made his way to the front of his class, and smiled at the boy who'd just irritated his entire class. "Awesome! I expect nothing less from our fellow students, heroics course or otherwise! I'm Midoriya Izuku, Vice-Rep of Class 1-A. And you are?" he asked, confusing and irritating the blond in front of him with his friendly response.

"How dare you speak to me in that way! I am Monoma Neito, and 1-B and I will rip victory from your clutches, and laugh as we stand over your fallen forms!" he exclaimed, then began laughing maniacally, until he realized the boy before him wasn't upset at all. With the same smile as before, Izuku gave the boy a thumbs up, momentarily turning his closed-mouth smile into a gleaming grin.

Neito threw up his hands in frustration, and started walking away. "I can't! I just can't stay mad at him! He's like a puppy! A happy, friendly, fearless puppy!" the boy complained as he wandered off.

Another boy with really sharp eyebrows rose a bit over the crowd, wanting to let his two yen be heard. "Wow, did you just kill Monoma-baka with kindness?! Who knew his weakness was people with diabetes-inducing smiles and friendly attitudes?! Props for that, dude! I'm still gonna kick your ass in the festival, but credit where credit is due!" the silver-haired boy exclaimed.

"Hey, 1-B aren't the only ones who have a declaration of war to deliver," another voice said, a boy with purple hair and bloodshot eyes making his way to the front of the group. "Some of us in General Studies are going to be gunning for that empty seat in your class, and if any of you do poorly enough, even more of us will be joining the Heroics Course, while those of you who can't cut it will take our spots in General Studies. Heck, I'm only where I am because my quirk is useless against robots."

From a bit further back, Tenya nodded. "He has a point. There do exist extraordinary quirks that simply don't work on non-living targets. Recovery Girl and our own homeroom teacher come to mind, and they're both incredible pros themselves. It's a waste to keep that seat empty, so I do hope that by the end of the sports festival, we're back up to twenty students," the bespectacled bluenette said, swinging his arms as if he were more machine than man as he did.

The amethyst-haired insomniac rolled his eyes. "Okay, then. Declaration of intent delivered. I'm Shinso Hitoshi. Hope we work well together or whatever," he said, then began to walk away until he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder grabbing him. Whirling around, he saw Katsuki grinning at him, tiny explosions popping out of his other hand.

"Here's our declaration of intent. Friendship is inevitable!" he roared, letting out a slightly louder pop than before, before turning to face his class and letting out the warcry. "FRIENDSHIP IS INEVITABLE!"

"RESISTANCE IS IMPOLITE!" Eijiro and Mina exclaimed back with raised fists and grins, adding their own bit to it. Katsuki and the rest of 1-A (sans the quiet ones) roared in approval, then made their way out of the building.

As Izuku, Ochako, Katsuki, and Tenya made their way to the train station, Ochako made her way closer to Izuku. "Hey, Izuku-kun? Is your offer still open for dinner tonight?" she asked quietly, trying to be inconspicuous.

Izuku nodded with a grin. "Sure, let me just let my mom know real quick," he said, then let the older greenette know to expect Ochako for dinner via telepathy, and smiled at the bob-haired girl. "She's really happy you're coming over. She also wants you to know she wishes you'd come over more, and I honestly feel the same!"

Ochako grinned, and pumped her fist in the air. "All right! Home away from home, here I come!" she shouted with glee.

Tenya simply smiled at the excited duo, a bit of a knowing smile on his face, but he said nothing, realizing the two of them didn't like being bothered about their relationship. Katsuki had no such qualms, though. "SHUT UP AND FUCKING HOLD HANDS ALREADY!" he roared in mild frustration, causing Tenya to laugh for a moment as Izuku and Ochako turned into a stuttering mess for several minutes afterwards.

Later, At The Midoriya Residence

Ochako grinned, having enjoyed her meal. "Thanks again, Inko-san! Your food's awesome, as usual! I'll have to get your recipe for when I have the money to buy nice ingredients for dinner!" the gravity-defying quirk user exclaimed.

Inko blushed, holding her cheeks in her hands. "Oh, Ochako-san! Thank you for coming over! Sure, I'll copy the recipe for you. Let me just get your plate for you," Inko said, but was stopped when a green glow came over the aforementioned plates.

"Don't worry, Mom. We'll take care of it," her pride and joy said, smiling bright as always. Inko nodded with a smile of her own, moving back to her seat so she was out of their way. She gazed fondly at the two of them as they worked in tandem to clean the dishes.

As the green ray of sunshine and the high-flying heroine worked on their task, Ochako decided to ask the obvious question. _"Aren't you going to ask her if she knows anything about Aureck-san?"_ the brunette queried.

Izuku smiled warmly at her, the girl startled a bit by the brightness of the aura she alone could see coming off of him, along with the happiness in his smile. _"Aureck-san isn't a problem, and there's no reason to bring up anything stressful right now. Mom's happy, I'm happy, and even though you're a bit worried, I can tell that you're happy, too. I think we'll take this victory. Happiness is worth fighting for, after all,"_ he replied, blue aura pooling out of him and flooding the room, causing the older woman in the room with them to chuckle happily, obviously enjoying the sight of the aura, knowing what its appearance meant.

As Ochako took in the smile of the boy next to her, her heart fluttered, and she came to a sudden realization, turning bright red suddenly and doing her best to keep from letting her feelings flow through. She didn't know if his elation was preventing him from sensing what she'd just realized, or if he was just unaware of what she'd just felt meant, but the brunette came to a realization at that time. _'I'm head over heels for him!'_

As the two teenagers continued washing the dishes, the girl with the score of infinity contemplated just what this meant for the two of them.


	9. Chapter 9

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Nine_

AN: I need to thank my editors, who have been keeping me on my toes and helping me with figuring this stuff out. So, thank you to Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83. You guys are friggin' majestic.

"Normal speech."

"**Buff Might/AI speech."**

'Sign language.'

'_Thoughts without intent to share ideas/feelings. Some will be heard by Izuku regardless of intent.'_

"_Telepathy."_

A Few Days Before The Sports Festival, At Dagobah Municipal Beach

All Might sat in the sand, looking out over the ocean. He had arrived early, eager to help his new protege. When the smiling teenager came to him with an idea to allow him to more safely use One for All, the Symbol of Peace was unable to find time in his schedule during normal hours of the day to help him, but he'd worked with Izuku and his mother, and squeezed in an hour or so to try out his new idea. The sun had set a little under an hour ago, and he and the Youthful Heroine, Recovery Girl, relaxed as they waited, Toshinori having offered to get a coat from his truck for the older Pro. She had smacked him with her cane, stating that not only wasn't it quite that cold out, being close to summer time, but she wasn't quite old enough yet to need it.

"Yagi-sensei! Doctor Shuzenji!" the bright-eyed boy exclaimed as he made his presence known, having just arrived. The grin on his face was infectious, and despite her misgivings, even the white mage of the pro hero world cracked a smile.

As he made his way over, Recovery Girl gently bopped his shin with her cane. "I keep telling you you can call me Doctor Chiyo in public! I know you call me that when it's just you and your mother! Stop being so nervous, child!" she said with a smile on her face, then reached into her pocket and pulled out a bag of gummies. "Eat one before you try your new technique. If you knock yourself out and you're really hurt, you're going to need the stamina if you want me to heal you."

Izuku nodded, already familiar with how U.A.'s school nurse's quirk worked, and the reason for the gummies. He popped one in his mouth, getting it eaten and in his stomach as quickly as was safe, then turned to the mightiest of heroes. "Okay, so I've already figured out the first part of this. I just need to find out if it's safe to use One for All while I've got this going," he explained, then moved a bit further out towards the water, beginning to glow green.

The ninth inheritor of One for All hovered a little bit off the ground, and surrounded himself in what appeared to be a cube of his green shields. He concentrated, reminding himself of the reasons he felt his life was worth safeguarding. _'I'm not just one person, isolated. I've connected with wonderful people. As I have depended on the goodness of others, soon others will come to depend on me. Mom, All Might-sensei, Uraraka-san, Kacchan, Eraserhead-sensei, Doctor Chiyo, and so many others have become a part of my life now. I'll protect myself so that I can be strong enough to protect them, and to protect the wonderful people in this world I've not even met yet! My strength has a purpose. _I _have a purpose!'_ as the green-haired hero was thinking these thoughts, feeling these feelings, the cube began shrinking around him, eventually shaping itself around his body like a second skin, phasing straight through his clothes as it did so.

Toshinori smiled a wide grin, liking just how cool his successor looked as he reinforced his body. And the result was pretty awe-inspiring, too! From his perspective, Izuku appeared to have a glowing green outline around any part of his body that wasn't covered by clothing. The sight was honestly awe-inspiring.

Chiyo hid a bit of sadness with a sigh, then spoke up. "All right, sonny! Let out a punch!" the diminutive hero called out. The boy with a heart of gold nodded, and wound up a punch, preparing to release one hundred percent.

"SMAAAASH!"

A portion of the ocean, not quite reaching the floor after fifteen meters out, was parted as the force of the punch made its way out to sea, dissipating far enough away that no one there could see how far it went. Izuku grunted in discomfort, his shoulder and the limb attached to it feeling a bit sore after the attack.

All Might and his protege grinned simultaneously, while Recovery Girl let out an exasperated sigh and smiled softly as she made her way over to assess the damage. At least it hadn't turned purple this time.

A Little Over An Hour Later, With Toshinori And Chiyo

Toshinori grinned as he drove Doctor Shuzenji home. Izuku had done so well today with his quirk! The man knew for a while that he'd picked the right candidate to inherit One for All, but he wasn't expecting to be proven right over and over again the way he was! He was surprised, then, when he heard the elderly healer in his passenger seat release a sad-sounding sigh. "Recovery Girl, what's the matter?" he asked, concerned.

The Youthful Hero scrunched her eyebrows together. "His green aura is dependent on his desire to protect something, right, Toshi?" she asked.

Toshinori nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "His shields require that feeling to work, but he can use the green aura regardless of his emotional state, unless he's happy, which turns it blue. Why do you ask?" the skeletal man replied, a bit of a frown making its way to his face.

The Youthful Heroine's eyes narrowed. "Then why is he capable of reinforcing the bodies of others so quickly, when reinforcing his own takes so much time and effort? I don't want to assume, but he might be keeping some upsetting thoughts in that brilliant head of his. Don't make a big deal of it, but please keep an eye on him, Toshi. If I'm wrong, we'll have worried for nothing, but if he's having those kinds of thoughts, and we don't do something to help him, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself," she explained, letting a weary sigh out after she finished.

The symbol of peace grimaced, remembering the details behind Izuku's birth. "So many people were hurt by that man. I won't let two of the only survivors of his schemes fall into such despair, not after I completely failed to deal with him as I should have!" the blond vowed, gripping his steering wheel tightly as his heart turned hot with anger.

Recovery Girl leaned her head in one of her hands. "Toshi, there was nothing you could have done. Nobody even knew who he was or what he was doing until that little girl escaped and found her way to people who could help. It's upsetting, I know, but there was simply too little information to know what we were dealing with! All we can do now is help the survivors of that monster Scalpel live the rest of their lives in peace," the healing heroine lamented, for once sounding her age.

Toshinori nodded. "You're right. It's our duty to make things right in the world. Keeping the victims of such disasters happy and safe is part of that. Speaking of which, how is she doing? Aureck, I mean?" he asked softly.

Chiyo rolled her eyes. "She's been coming by a lot more frequently lately. The security cameras still pick her up, even if our own senses can't. Still keeps to herself for the most part, but she's made friends with Gentleman and Lady Love, of all people, and she's still hanging out with that Hatsume girl, all these years later. The two of them have really helped each other out. I'm glad she decided to break into her house after hiding herself away, even if the act was illegal. She's also made friends with one other hooligan I'm aware of. It seems she really likes people with goodness in their hearts, judging by the people she's revealed herself to," the healer explained, a wistful smile making its way to her face.

Toshinori raised an eyebrow in confusion. "So, she hasn't tried to speak with young Midoriya yet?" he asked, a bit concerned.

Doctor Shuzenji sighed. "She wants to, but she's afraid. She's always been afraid to open up. With Izuku, though, she's afraid of more than that," the woman explained, then lowered her head in sadness, and finished her statement, "She's afraid of how much it will hurt when she reveals herself to him, and he has no clue who she is."

With that sobering thought, the two of them spent the rest of the ride in silence.

Day Of The Sports Festival

Izuku was incredibly nervous, but also really excited. Here he and his fellow first-years stood, in front of an enormous crowd. The joy in the arena was so overwhelming, his blue aura occasionally swelled enough that he had to shape it into a pillar in order to prevent it from interfering with any of his classmates or the other students on the field. He could sense his mother in the crowd with incredible ease, the joy, pride, and anxiousness so powerful it was as if he was right next to her, and he had to stop himself from attempting to go over to where she was to calm her down. He simply sent comforting feelings her way through his empathic abilities.

His excitement nearly turned into panic when Midnight called him out. "Midoriya Izuku, as the student to come in first in the entrance exam, it's your duty to give a pledge! Come up here, you adorable first year!" the R-Rated Hero exclaimed, toning back a bit on the kind of teasing she'd usually do. She's had him faint enough times in her class to know he can't handle that much, and it'd be counterproductive to have him pass out now.

The poor boy made his way up onto the podium, sweating like mad from anxiety. The heat certainly didn't help the situation, either. As he stood for a second to try and calm down, he focused on the feelings of those closest to him, focusing on those feelings to help deal with his nerves. Pride. Excitement. Anticipation. Adoration. Some other nice thing he couldn't identify for some reason. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Well, we're here. Today, all of us first years are here to represent our school, U.A., in this event. I may have come in first place in the entrance exam, but I was really nervous then, regardless. To get into U.A., you have to be the best of the best, regardless of what course you're aiming for. General Studies, Heroics, Management, Support? Everybody who earned their place in those courses worked long and hard to make it there. It's the biggest school in the nation, and even the worst student can't be called a slouch if they made it here. That day, we were all winners. Today, if we all try our hardest, put in the effort to be better than we were yesterday, go even just a little bit beyond our limits, we will win today, too. That's the school motto, after all, right? Go beyond," he said, then raised his fist skyward and shouted, "PLUS ULTRA!"

The crowd, and a significant portion of the students gathered erupted in cheers, and Izuku was a blue blur as he got off the stage and back to his spot amongst his fellow students, causing a few chuckles to come from the crowd, startling Izuku when he realized that people found his shyness adorable and sweet.

The sleep-inducing seductress grinned. "We have quite the crop of students here today, folks! But I bet you're all wondering, what will the first event be? It's a mystery, viewers, one that will be unravelled by this randomizer behind me!" Nemuri announced, gesturing to the display rising from an opening in the ground behind the podium.

In seconds, the randomizer stopped, though calling it a randomizer was a lie, honestly. The envoy of Morpheus grinned wider. "It's the Obstacle Race! Here are the rules! You must complete a lap around the stadium, and deal with the obstacles in your path! Do your best to return to the arena first! As for how you deal with the obstacles, well, as long as you stay inside the marked area, anything goes! Now, all of you crazy kids, make your way over to the starting line over there!" Midnight exclaimed, pointing to a section of the stadium wall that began opening to reveal an arch leading outside.

The students made their way to the starting line, waiting with bated breath. The first indicator light lit, then the second, then one more, until…

"GET THE FUCK ON WITH IT!"

Pretty much all the gathered students let out a warcry as they bolted to the course. This ended up being a bit of a mistake, since all of them being in that tunnel at once made it very crowded very fast. Finding himself in the middle of the mob, Izuku struggled a bit to make his way to a high enough position to see. As he struggled, a voice called out to him.

"IZUKU! DO THE THING!" Katsuki bellowed angrily.

"WHAT THING, KACCHAN?" the freckled teen called back.

"THE FUCKING HEROIC THING, YOU FUCKING NERD!"

Izuku blinked. "Oh."

Izuku's blue aura flooded the area, and every student still in the tunnel was gently lifted and set down on the course, allowing them all to bypass the cramped entrance tunnel. He then glowed brighter, and after releasing the other students from his hold, zoomed ahead, an incredibly loud bang heard as he broke the sound barrier. Kyoka and Mezo both telepathically thanked Izuku for having the sense to muffle their ears, a few tiny, ripped pieces of their outfits placed in their ears to reduce the damage from his takeoff sound.

Half A Minute Or So Ago, With Ochako

The smiling brunette let out a whoop as she flew, or more accurately, fell through the course, taking first place as she altered the direction her gravity took her and moved down the course at terminal velocity, easily passing up Shoto on the way. She had to change her flow and return to the ground a lot sooner than she expected, though, because suddenly, robots, tons of them!

"And it looks like our first place contestant Uraraka Ochako has come to a halt, having come across the first obstacle! Making a comeback from the practical portion of the entrance exams, it's the Robot Inferno! How will our contestants overcome these mighty metal titans?" Present Mic, always present at these events, pun very much intended, commented.

Ochako got into a ready stance and grinned. "Payback time. I'm gonna punch at least one of these zero pointers in the motherboard!" she declared, then let out a warcry before a series of explosions were heard nearby.

Jumping back, not wanting to leave herself open to the zero pointer in front of her, Ochako turned to check what the heck happened, then chuckled upon seeing Izuku tearing apart every zero pointer except the one in front of her. She sensed his attention on her, and he said one of the sweetest things he's told her in a while.

"_Show that tin can the power of infinity, Uraraka-san!"_

Her grin turned menacing. "Hey, you giant trash can! Can you feel fear?" she asked.

She was surprised when it answered. **"Unknown. Inconclusive data."**

The stargazing hero let out a warcry. "HERE'S YOUR DATA!" With a tap of all five fingers to herself, and a twist with the same hand, Ochako began falling at the droid behemoth before her, changing her gravitational pull to change her path and dodge its attacks as she made her way to the foot of the giant. As she changed the pull of gravity to ascend, she tapped the mechanical warrior with her other hand. Twisting that hand, she began to increase the pull of gravity on the zero pointer. With a loud screeching noise as metal was torn asunder, the colossus collapsed under its own weight.

"Wow, ladies and gentlemen! We may never learn if that zero pointer was able to feel fear, but I think it's safe to say that Uraraka's power is one that cannot be ignored! And speaking of ignorance, Midoriya has come to a complete stop, seemingly marvelling at his classmate's handiwork! With the speed he was clocked at when he took off earlier, he should have won the race by this point! What gives? Shota, you're his homeroom teacher. Do you have any enlightening details that might explain this mad lad's abrupt halt?" the Voice Hero asked, turning to his co-commentator for the day.

Shota rolled his eyes, and leaned forward. "Midoriya-san's quirk is a strange one. Mind and Body gives him a superpowered body, and powers you'd expect from an esper. He's probably doing this because seeing his classmates do well gives him joy, which allows him access to his blue aura. That explosion you heard when he took off like that was him breaking the sound barrier, something I've only seen him do when he's blue. Other than the previously stated hypothesis, your guess is as good as mine, Hizashi," he commented, glaring at his friend for having him actually talk.

Yamada Hizashi just laughed at his longtime friend. "That it is, buddy! Anyway, the two of them, along with Todoroki Shoto, Bakugou Katsuki, and Iida Tenya, have made their way to the second obstacle, The Fall! There is only one rule for passing this one, listeners! Don't fall! ...Unless you're Uraraka, who is falling in a completely different direction than the one that would have her fail here. Oh well, fall away, gravity girl! Fall away!"

Shota groaned in exasperation as he leaned back in his seat and rubbed his temples. It was going to be a _long_ festival.

With Katsuki And Shoto

Katsuki was having the time of his life! Who knew interacting with people could be so fucking entertaining? The madman sang irritating songs as he chased down Half n' Half, intent on overtaking him and being a nuisance in general. He had just decided to stop singing The Song that Gets on Everybody's Nerves, and now he needed a new one.

"Hey, Diet Zuko! Do you know what fun is?" he screamed at the boy just a few meters ahead of him. Predictably, he deigned not to answer. "Here, I'll teach you about fun! F is for fire that burns down the whole town! U's for uranium...BOMBS! N is for no surviiiiivooooors-!"

Katsuki's singing was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a wall of ice. The boy stopped for a moment, offended by the obstacle before him. "I FUCKING HATE WALLS!" the ash blond roared, then let loose an explosion that tore the barrier to shards. **"WALLS ONLY KEEP PEOPLE APART! NOW GET BACK HERE AND ACCEPT MY GODDAMN FRIEND REQUEST, YOU FRIGID HOT-HEAD!"**

Shoto had gained a bit of a lead on Katsuki, the wall having stopped the explosive teen momentarily, and the son of second place breathed a sigh of relief. _'He just wouldn't stop singing. So irritating,'_ he thought to himself. He looked behind him, just to make sure the madman wasn't on his tail. He was a bit surprised not to see him behind him anymore. Heck, he couldn't even hear the telltale sound of his explosions anymore.

"HEY, KETCHUP AND MAYO, I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR YA!" the bombastic badass shouted from...somewhere.

The recommendation student realized with some alarm where his opponent was when he saw a shadow forming on the ground a little bit ahead of him. Time seemed to slow down as he looked up to see the blond descending to where he was about to be. His grin widened and his eyes grew brighter, as he asked his question.

"**EXPLOSIONS?!"**

That was all the warning Shoto got before he got knocked back by the subject matter of the query, the crazy exploding teenager flying away as the scion of Endeavor tumbled.

Katsuki laughed uproariously as he flew ahead, bypassing The Fall with alacrity. He grinned as he approached the next obstacle, having heard Present Mic state previously that it was a minefield. He noticed Ochako slowing down about halfway through the obstacle, and took the opportunity before him.

"HERE I COME, PINK-CHEEKED NERD LOVER! BETTER GET READY, 'CAUSE HERE COMES THE BOOM!" the friend-seeking missile exclaimed, increasing the power of his explosions as he approached.

Seconds later, Katsuki realized that he probably shouldn't have given her a heads up. The brunette turned around and slapped him, sending him tumbling back through the air for a moment. _'Shit, this is making me nauseous! Note to self: don't underestimate somebody with a quirk that allows them to fuck around with the laws of physics as they please,'_ the slayer of Deku thought to himself.

Ochako wasn't done with him yet, though. "Sorry, Bakugou-san, but I've gotta take advantage of whatever openings I find!" she exclaimed, tapping herself with the hand that hadn't slapped Katsuki and making a twisting motion, as she reached out to him with the hand she had slapped him with.

The red-eyed teen felt _something_ shift in the air, though he couldn't figure out what it was for the life of him, and then he snarled in rage (no, he did _not_ yelp in a moment of fear. Fear was for other people, not Bakugou Motherfucking Katsuki.) as the bender of universal laws came flying in his general direction. He was incredibly confused for a moment when she flew straight past him, but then he felt that shift again, and it made sense.

"FORCE MANIPULATION: ORBITAL SLINGSHOT!"

As his fellow racer flew past him at jaw-dropping velocity and his gravity was suddenly returned, along with his position of third place, Katsuki picked his metaphorical jaw off the ground and grinned, righting himself in the air and following after her. _"OI, SHITTY NERD! TELL YOUR GIRLFRIEND THAT HER TECHNIQUE NAMES ARE FUCKING BADASS!"_

"_She's/He's not my girlfriend/boyfriend!"_ their voices shouted back in his head simultaneously, embarrassment and confusion not belonging to him making its way into his mind.

Katsuki smirked as he approached the finish line. Third place wasn't the greatest, but considering his competition, he'd take it. _"Keep telling yourselves that! Now go find a quiet fucking corner and do some consensual hand-holding! Bonus points for eye-contact and finger-lacing!"_ the ash-blond menace teased, grinning as he could see the two of them stammering and separating a bit further where they'd settled after the race.

'_I should have tried this whole friend thing sooner. It's fucking hilarious,'_ the boy lamented, even as he grinned with happiness.

A Few Minutes Later, As Everybody Prepared For The Cavalry Battle

Our favorite green cinnamon roll frowned just a little bit. He had hoped he could form a team with Ochako, Kacchan, and Tenya, but of the three of them, only Ochako had decided to join him, the other two stating their intent to compete with him. He wasn't sad about their desire to pit themselves against him in friendly competition, no. He was sad about what Tenya's reasoning for doing so implied.

'_Am I hurting my friends by trying so hard to support them? I've been so excited about finally having friends that I completely forgot how much I simply don't understand about socializing with others...Am I upsetting them by helping them as much as I am? I really need to look into learning psychology...It could help with understanding how to keep from hurting their feelings…'_ the boy thought to himself.

A hand gently clasped his shoulder, its pinky not joining the other digits touching him. He turned to see Ochako gazing at him with a gentle smile. "You're thinking too hard about it, Midoriya-kun. It'd probably be a good idea to learn psychology regardless, considering how your quirk works, but your friends became your friends because they like _you._ They like the Midoriya-kun who helps with little, arbitrary things. They like the Midoriya-kun who cries entire litres of tears when he's happy enough. And they like the Midoriya-kun who worries constantly about the people he cares about. So don't worry so much about helping everybody too much, and just keep being Midoriya-kun!" she said, pepping him up and giving him a toothy grin. "That's what makes you a hero!"

"Well said, Uraraka-chan!" a voice shouted from nearby. The two of them turned to find Hatsume Mei standing nearby, a grin on her face that wouldn't look out of place on Katsuki. "It makes sense that _you're_ the person Izuku Bonded with! The two of you complement each other so incredibly well! Now, we must seek out our final teammate! I need to show off my babies to the support companies in the audience, and I can't do that if we're one teammate short!"

Ochako cocked an eyebrow, a grin on her face. "Bold of you to assume we'll just let you waltz into our team, Hatsume-san," the brunette jested, as relieved as Izuku was that she'd been so willing to join.

The pinkette had a look of realization come across her face. "Oh, right! I'm supposed to ask for permission for stuff like joining teams! I spend so much time cooped up in my lab, I forget social necessities sometimes. So, may I join your team? You'd get access to my babies for this event, more importantly, Unit 0! And obviously, I'd get to fight alongside the team with the two frontrunners, allowing my babies to get even more attention! Oh, please, let me join your team!" the girl with the targeting pupils exclaimed, starting to sound desperate.

Izuku laughed, a grin making its way onto his face. "Uraraka-san was just messing with you. Of course we'll let you join our team. So, we just need one more teammate," he said, not knowing that their search would never need to occur.

"How about two more teammates, Master?" a pair of voices said simultaneously from nearby, causing Izuku to jump in surprise as he whirled around to see Fumikage kneeling before them, with Dark Shadow bowed next to the bird-headed boy.

Izuku giggled a little despite himself, and spoke to his newest teammates. "Rise, my apprentices. We have much to discuss," he said, gesturing as if he were The Senate himself.

Silly grins appeared upon the faces of the entire squad as they talked tactics.

A Little Over Ten Minutes Later

The ten million plus point team was ready. Izuku stood at the back left, with Mei to the right, and Fumikage and Dark Shadow in front. They had decided on an unorthodox method of attack, and Ochako being the rider was a big part of it, the girl seated atop her teammates with a confident smirk on her face.

The hero of dreams lifted the mic to her mouth. "All right, now that all the teams are in position, it's time to get this event going! Make it through this, and you'll be part of the climax that is the third event! Ready? GO!" Midnight exclaimed, and they were off.

As predicted, nearly every team gunned it for the ten million points right away. Izuku grinned as he formed a green aura shield in front of his team, adding others to their flanks. He lifted Ochako up a bit into the air as Mei pressed a button on a bracelet she'd put on. It extended across her body, until there were matching bracelets on her other arm, her legs, and a similar looking collar around her neck. A sound like a cannon shot was heard from the direction of her workshop, and she turned to her teammates with a grin. "All right, I'm good. Fly, you fools!" she exclaimed, and Ochako activated the jetpack attached to her back, flying away as Izuku and Dark Shadow covered her ascent.

Katsuki grinned from atop his team. "So you wanna play like that, huh?!" he shouted, then launched into the air after the flying gravity manipulator. "I'LL TAKE THOSE TEN MILLION POINTS NOW! ITADAKIMASU!"

Before the blasty boy could ascend high enough to get to Ochako, he was decked in the face by a familiar set of armor. With a grunt, he called out to one of his teammates. "OI, DISCOUNT SPIDERMAN! FUCKING PULL ME IN!"

Hanta rolled his eyes as he complied. He knew by this point that the insulting nicknames were a form of affection from the irritable explosion user, and that he started calling you by your actual name if you earned his respect, but it still kind of irked him. As the pomeranian from hell landed back atop his team, the tape user asked, "What's the plan now, fearless leader?"

Katsuki growled angrily. "Fuck, that's some crazy tactical bullshit Izuku's team's pulled. Uraraka's got that jetpack keeping her in the air, and two redundant methods of flight available if the jetpack gets busted. Not only that, but she's pretty high up there. We won't be able to reach her with Izuku around, and he's got his fucking gundam armor, so she's even more untouchable. Let's go make friends with that Icy Hot fucker, how does that sound?" he explained, ending with a suggestion and a grin.

His fucking badass steeds grinned and roared, "FRIENDSHIP IS INEVITABLE!"

"**RESISTANCE IS IMPOLITE!"** he added, then shouted to Eijiro, "Bring us closer! I wanna deck that Zuko lookalike in the jaw!"

With a warcry, Team Manly Men Plus One Manly Woman made their way to their new target. And thus, the Bakusquad began its formation in earnest.

Elsewhere, With Fumikage And Dark Shadow

The shadowy duo had found a target, and were preparing to set up their part of the plan. It was with a grin and a glare that they stood before Team Todoroki. A piece of Izuku's armor was attached to Fumikage's wrist. The child of darkness and mystery grinned internally. _'If Denki doesn't recognize what he's about to see, I'll have to confiscate his fan card,'_ Fumikage mused.

As soon as they got the go ahead from Izuku, the dynamic duo leaped into action. As they flew at the enemy team, Momo tossed a flashbang in his direction. "Just as Darth Midori predicted!" Dark Shadow exclaimed as he withdrew into his partner, negating any damage that may have been dealt to him. A box of green shields formed around Fumikage's head, and his arms moved to shield his eyes.

"_It's a good thing you can just allow people to pass through your shields like air if you allow them, Master. Otherwise I would have faced the same fate as Darth Tyrannus just now,"_ the befriender of a sentient quirk commented, then added, _"They are close enough for the plan now."_

As green aura moved beneath the five of them, Fumikage smirked. "Shadow Force Combo Attack: The Dark Realm," he called out, noting the bit of fear from his classmates as they saw a dome of earth forming around them, manipulated by Izuku's green aura.

They tried to escape, but in their haste to flee, they failed to realize that they weren't going up against just their one classmate and his sentient quirk, but their other classmate as well. Their feet were grabbed by tendrils of green aura, slowing them to a near halt.

As the dome finished forming, and Dark Shadow emerged from his partner, Shoto and his squadmates heard an eerie line from the pair, boy and quirk distorting their voices the same way they did at the mall. "The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural," the apprentices of the Dark Lord of Smiles quoted together.

Shoto grimaced. "Yaoyorozu-san, insulation! Kaminari-san, get ready!" His squad prepared the attack he'd been meaning to save for the entirety of Izuku's team and a few others, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

Denki let loose with his quirk, making sure to hold back so as to not fry his brain. However, to their confusion, there was no cry of pain, nor did they see their opponents when the electric attack went off and brightened the inside of the dome for a moment.

The Class Rep created a flashlight, and shined it out into the man made cavern. In forming the dome, it seemed many rocks of various sizes had been dropped around. From behind one, Fumikage emerged, and blew Denki's mind upon activating the weapon attached to the armor piece he wore.

"Oh, shit! It's the wrong color, but that sith lord has a frikkin' lightsaber!" the boy who cried whey shouted in alarm as a sword of green light emerged from the gauntlet on Fumikage's arm.

Shoto was about to have Momo form some sort of explosive to escape the darkened battlefield when he felt one of his headbands get ripped from their position on his neck. "Momo! The flashlight! Point it in the opposite direction!" he exclaimed. The smartest first year in U.A. did as her teammate said, and managed to spot Dark Shadow as he escaped into a hole in the ground with a headband.

With a smirk, Fumikage deactivated the weapon on the gauntlet. "Our Master thanks you for your generous gift. I look forward to seeing you in the final event," Fumikage announced as the dome crumbled around them and Dark Shadow returned to his side, noticeably lacking the headband he'd nabbed as he gave his partner a high five.

Shoto growled in frustration, though noted with relief that their team retained their most valuable headband. Denki voiced the team's thoughts on what just happened quite accurately.

"We just got bamboozled _hard!"_

A Few Minutes Earlier, With Mei

Mei hovered around the battlefield, seeking a team to relieve of their headband. Activating her quirk, she zoomed in her view on the team with the blond from 1-B. It didn't take long to deduce the nature of his quirk, considering his use of several different quirks depending on who he touched.

Mei grinned evilly, and pushed a button, then selected her weapon of choice, the pod hovering over the battlefield that she'd sent out opening three slots ominously. "Target locked," she stated simply, as a trio of power armors descended, one landing before her and opening up to allow her inside. A trio of pink mono-eyes activated, one for each suit of armor, as each began hovering slightly off of the ground and powering up weapons.

"Uh, I get that Support Course students can use whatever gear they've developed themselves, but isn't that violating any sort of copyright? She's clearly using a trio of DOMs from the Gundam Franchise. Shota, please tell me she can do that. I don't want to make her stop!" Hizashi announced from his spot in the commentator's box, turning to his childhood friend with a look of hope in his eyes. He _really_ wanted to see what this chick could pull off with those power armors!

Shota rolled his eyes and spoke into the mic. "She's descended from the original copyright owners of the Gundam franchise. Pretty much anybody in her extended family has the right to use such gear and can grant it to whoever they wish. She's just the first of them to do so. Regardless, she's clearly not joking about calling herself a mad engineer," he stated with a hint of a frown as she and her AI piloted partner suits started moving in the direction of Team Monoma, then turned to his colleague and said blandly, with the mic muted, "I'm honestly surprised you recognized the trio of DOMs, but not the actual gundam that joined the fray. Did you not watch Gundam Unicorn?" Hizashi could only sigh as he pulled out his phone and found the show, adding it to his watch later list.

The trio of DOM-shaped power armors lined up and accelerated to attack speed, a red energy shield deploying from the unit in front, causing an odd effect to come over all three. The copycat hero heard the sound of the hovering engines and his eyes widened to comical proportions. "Oh, you have to be _JOKING!"_ he exclaimed loudly, breathing out a wall of Solid Air, and instructing Kosei, the original owner of Solid Air, to do the same.

Pulling out an electrified baton, since she couldn't use lethal force in this event, Mei sped up even more and shouted, "JET STREAM ATTACK!" The unit in the back of the line prepared a grappling device, while the one in the middle hopped up to fire a rocket launcher over her head at their targets.

Kosei and Neito continued forming walls with their Solid Air, which suited Mei's plan of attack just fine. Upon impact with the foremost barrier, the projectile fired revealed itself to be a flashbang, stunning all four team members, and completely nullifying Shihai's ability to use his quirk momentarily. Mei moved to one side of the group, baton extended to smack Sen, who transferred the shock to the rest of his teammates. The unit with the rocket launcher fired off two more flashbangs in the general vicinity of their group, going around to the other flank so as to affect Shihai as much as possible. The third and final unit leaped over the entire group and extended its grappling tool, picking a headband at random and taking it before speeding off with Mei and the other unit, in the direction of Izuku.

It took a moment for the flashbang's effects to wear off on Team Monoma, but they were able to do so fairly quickly. Since the attacks were powerful enough to stun most people in their general vicinity, they were not attacked in the meantime. With a snarl, Neito sought out a team from 1-A to target. Upon finding one with fairly decent quirks, he smirked. "We'll just get our points back from _that_ group!" he exclaimed, and his team headed to their new targets, with no clue how big of a mistake _that_ was going to be.

Meanwhile, Above The Arena With Izuku And Ochako

Izuku furrowed his eyebrows in concentration, keeping an eye out for attacks from below. He'd simply look into the minds of everybody on the field, but he didn't want to accidentally come across compromising information on people who weren't even going up against his team, so he'd decided to use his mind-reading abilities exclusively on teams that targeted his team. Thus, he was only a little surprised when an attack made it to them. He was going up against promising hero students, after all. He was more surprised by how they'd been able to target and claim their primary headband, however.

"MIDORIYA-KUN! THE TEN MILLION!" his brunette partner and best friend cried out in alarm, as a hand made its way back to a team on the ground, following an eye that had gotten close as well. In a matter of seconds, the ten million points had made its way into the possession of Team Kendo, giving them first place, and drastically reducing their own point count, Team Uraraka now only having the headband taken from Team Todoroki by Fumikage and Dark Shadow.

Looking down at their new priority target, Izuku began looking into their minds to figure out what their quirks were, and what tactics they were using. _"Damn, their tactics are pretty well thought out. Guys, we've lost the macguffin. I'm sending you all info on their quirks, as well as the tactics they're utilizing right now. Any input is welcome. I'm going to try to get our lead back in the meantime!"_ he broadcast to his teammates, then flew down alongside Unit 0, with Fumikage and Dark Shadow backing him up from the ground.

"_Midoriya-chan! Get inside of Unit 0! The shield has a feature that will help, but it needs to be charged with your green aura to work!"_ Team Uraraka's craziest member called out to him through their telepathic link, already close enough that she'd be able to support them very soon. Izuku read her thoughts on the armor's gimmick, and grinned, entering it and beginning the process of charging it. He detached both gauntlets, giving Fumikage back his lightsaber, and giving the other to Dark Shadow. The glee he sensed from the sentient quirk put him in good spirits, and the aura emerging from him began changing in hue.

Ochako found herself being attacked by the horns of Pony Tsunotori, the girl capable of controlling four of them remotely herself. The jetpack she'd been using was quickly destroyed, Mei crying out in frustration at the damage dealt to her baby even as she carried the physics breaker over to the pod she had hovering in the sky, this redundant source of levitation less mobile but far more heavily armored than the jetpack. As she placed the headband she'd pilfered in Ochako's hand, the genius of the Hatsume family spun around and increased the volume of her power armor's speakers. "MIDORIYA-CHAN! TOKOYAMI-SAN! DARK SHADOW-SAN! THEY BROKE MY BABY! WIPE THEM OUT! ALL OF THEM!" she exclaimed, then let them know via telepathy that she wasn't actually as angry as she sounded. _"I just really want the big support companies to see what my current Magnum Opus is capable of, so I'm gonna just let you guys wail on them. The angry outburst is just to make it look cooler!"_ she explained, with Izuku relaying the info to their other teammates.

Izuku grinned behind the helmet of his hero costume, enjoying the camaraderie his team was showing at the moment, and as he, Fumikage, and Dark Shadow fought to bypass the storm of horns being commanded by Reiko, as well as Itsuka's enormous hands, his aura extended to his teammates, altering the color of Bird and Not So Bird's lightsabers. In seconds, he heard a notification from his suit. **"Enhanced Aura Mode charged,"** the suit informed him, then said in the voice of Grand Moff Tarkin, "You may fire when ready."

The empath with a heart of gold smiled at the reference, and activated his armor's new ability. With a hiss, panels opened up, and portions of the armor shifted slightly, with blue glowing lines going across the newly opened parts, and a pair of hilts appearing from the back of the armor. The shield, as well, began glowing a bright cobalt, lines opening up on it as well. He was aware that the same was happening with Fumikage and Dark Shadow's gauntlets, even if he wasn't close enough to see himself. Reaching out with his aura, he fed his confidence into his teammates, making them fight just a little better with that boost to morale.

"IT'S A GUNDAAAAM!" the Voice Hero exclaimed, his mic not active but his voice loud enough to penetrate the glass of the commentator's booth regardless. Izuku didn't even have to check to know that his homeroom teacher was glaring daggers at his English teacher, that is, if he was even still conscious with the epicenter of the shout being right next to him.

Izuku halted for a second, and voiced his question both out loud and telepathically. _"Wait, I'm wearing a gundam suit thingy? Of all the shows I've watched, why is the one my costume is based off of amongst the ones I _haven't _watched?!"_ he complained, a bit frustrated at the fact.

Mei cackled from inside her power armor, having successfully warded off Pony's horns with Ochako's help. _"Looks like you've got some required watching to do later, Midoriya-chan! I'll come by your place sometime with the Universal Century collection. I think you'll appreciate it. Hell, have Uraraka-chan over and make it a binge watching date!"_ she said telepathically, making him blush with the suggestion at the end, his thoughts and feelings on the matter going straight through to Ochako regardless of his intent.

"_She's not my girlfriend!"_ he exclaimed telepathically, even as his bonded partner could sense his affection for her. The brunette frowned a bit upon learning just a bit more about his confusing thoughts and feelings on the matter.

Mei rolled her eyes from next to Ochako, having removed the helmet portion of her power armor as she turned Ochako's way with a knowing look and said with a conspiratorial smirk, "Yeah, I don't buy that for a second. He may not know it yet, but he's head over heels for you. You, on the other hand, are a lot closer to figuring things out, according to my sources."

The gravity gal frowned a bit, but didn't deny her teammate's statement. She just kept her eye out for any opportunity to help their teammates on the ground, and made sure to watch out for any more floating hands or horns.

Izuku, having gotten back into the fight after his momentary distraction, had managed to bypass his opponents' defenses, having taken control of the floating appendages with his own power, and halting them in the air. He, Fumikage, and Dark Shadow had surrounded them, with Izuku moving to where their opposing team's horned hard-hitter would be forced to contend with him. Upon an unspoken command, all three of them attacked the horses of Team Kendo, making sure to occupy their attention even as Itsuka's hands expanded and attempted to help her teammates fend them off.

All according to plan so far. Izuku then used the shield's gimmick, and eight pieces of the edges of it flew off and began hovering around, not unlike their opponent team's primary attack method. Azure beams of light fired out from them, forcing their team even more on the defensive. None of them even saw Ochako until she was right on top of them, the girl taking every headband off of them before she sped back up into the sky, sitting down on the floating pod provided by Mei with a smirk.

Their objective complete, and the event coming to a close very soon, Izuku flew back up into the sky, bringing his 'sith apprentices' with him, the more outgoing of the two making rude faces at their opponents on the ground as they ascended. Izuku wondered how his childhood friend was doing, looking down from his position to seek out Team Bakugo.

Turns out, they were doing just fine.

Several Minutes Ago, With The Bakusquad

Katsuki Bakugo roared with intense fury. First, he was repelled from getting the ten million headband from Ochako, then his team's secondary target gets surrounded by a DOME OF EARTH, of all things, said dome getting shielding the second he started attacking it, and then, just after he and his squad had obtained a headband from a team from Class 1-B, another squad from their sibling class came by and not only ganked their headbands, but his and Eijiro's quirks as well!

Well, saying their quirks were stolen was misleading, but you get the point! Katsuki was having a really shitty time thus far, and the smug bastard from 1-B had just made himself prime punching bag material, especially since he had Hardening for however long now.

Eijiro and his fellow Bakusquad members tried to cool the explosive teen down, hoping to get him to think about his next course of action rationally. "I get that you're mad, bro! I'm pretty angry too! If we rush in there without thinking this through, though, we might end up losing even harder than we are now!" the red-haired boy explained.

"Are you fuckers done trying to calm me down?" the king of explosive murders asked in a voice that left his friends feeling chills. "If you're done, I've already come up with a plan to murder those assholes' faces off."

His teammates looked at him slack-jawed. He smirked, his ego boosted a bit at his opportunity to show off what is honestly his greatest talent, honed for over a decade now. "You're giving that stupid look that tells me exactly what you're thinking. 'He was just screaming bloody fucking murder about killing his enemies! How did he figure out how to beat them while he was ranting and raving?' I'll tell you how. You think I'm angry now? You're right. I'm angry now. I was angry before the event started. I was angry yesterday, and I'll be angry tomorrow, too. I'm like the fucking Hulk. I'm always angry. I fucking adapted to that years ago. Now, Office Max, get ready to pull me back in. Admiral, get ready to make a path of acid for us to slide on straight to the enemy. And Kirishima? Get ready to Smash," he explained, before taking flight as he went on the attack.

With Team Monoma

Neito grinned in satisfaction, three headbands around his neck. He was feeling pretty smug right now, having pulled a fast one against one of the strongest teams formed of 1-A students. He was brought out of his thoughts, though, when he heard the rider of the team he'd just stolen from screaming bloody murder as he flew at them.

"BLOODY MURDER! BLOODY MURDER!" Katsuki screamed with a shit-eating grin on his face as he propelled himself through the air at his opponents. His copycat opponent breathed out a shield of solid air, the personification of a flashbang landing on it and grabbing on with one hand. "Special delivery! Did any of you fuckers order a LIVE GRENADE?!" he screamed, smashing through the shield with an explosion from the hand he wasn't using to hang onto his improvised platform.

Neito flinched, and that was all Katsuki needed to grab two of the headbands, but he was taking too long. Thank fucking God he had thought up a plan for that, too. Having two thirds of his current objective, he took off, making sure to destroy his foes' defenses as he flew back to his team, Hanta having wrapped his tape around his waist and pulled him in. He happened to overhear the Admiral questioning his nickname for her as he came in for a landing.

"It's because you have an actual fleet's worth of ships. I've seen your goddamn social media accounts. You depraved fuck. You took a picture of Izuku and Round Face holding hands. Send me a copy, damnit," he explained, then asked, "You got the acid ready?"

With a grin, Mina nodded. "Sure thing, Blasty McSplode Face!" she exclaimed with a grin, rolling her sleeves up as she flung the acid that had gathered there out in front of her team, firing more out to complete the path.

"Fucking superb, Ashido. Sero, nail the ground next to them with some of that good shit, then start reeling us in when I give the word. Kirishima, turn yourself hard enough to shit fucking diamonds. Let's do this," he said, then held his arms back, pops coming from his palms as he prepared to pull the floor right out from under their target. "FUCKING GO, ASSHOLES!"

With a grin, Eijiro, Mina, and Hanta shouted simultaneously, "BAKUSQUAD, ROLL OUT!"

The quartet of badasses exploded forward, catching Team Monoma by surprise when they saw just how fast all four of them were coming at them.

"GET FUCKING BEFRIENDED, LOSERS!" they screamed as one as they flew past, Katsuki grabbing their target's lone remaining headband and placing it upon his forehead with a sneer.

As they made haste to a less crowded part of the field, Eijiro took a look at what Team Cinnamon Bun was up to, and grinned. "Hey, Ashido? I only just now noticed, but Midoriya's armor has horns. Should we make him an honorary horn buddy?" the manliest one there asked.

Mina cracked a grin of her own and barked out a laugh. "Yeah, sure! We're both founding members, so we can add people if we want. We're the _only_ founding members, though, got it?" she asked, surprising the rock hard boy with her insistence on that one rule.

Exchanging a fist bump with the pinkette, Eijiro nodded. "Sure. Glad we had such a productive meeting. Now let's get back to kicking ass and taking names!" he shouted.

"AAAAND THE SECOND EVENT IS OVER, LISTENERS! The top four teams will be moving on to the next event! Here are our winning teams!" Present Mic announced, ruining any chance of them kicking any more ass and taking any more names until the next round. The jumbo screen removed the team placements that had been on it previously, making the placements a mystery to anybody who hadn't been looking at the last second before it had gone blank. "In fourth place, coming out of nowhere, is TEAM SHINSO!" Hizashi announced, the faces of the team in question showing up on the board with their names.

"And coming in third, just a bit ahead of them, is TEAM BAKUGO! What a comeback for them at the end there, huh folks? Next, taking second place, is TEAM TODOROKI! They pulled off some crazy maneuvers near the end there, but it all worked out in the end! And in first place, having taken a few headbands to add to their overwhelming lead, is TEAM URARAKA! Also, because it would be criminal not to say it again, IT'S A GUNDAAAAAM!"

Izuku grinned within his hero costume, disabling its powered up state as he exited it and sent it back to the workshop from whence it came. He and the other students made their way up to the podium where Midnight stood, awaiting the announcement of the next event.

"This is where the fun begins."


	10. Chapter 10

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Ten_

Thanks again, as usual, to my reviewers, readers, followers, and especially my editors, Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83. Each of you are magic ninja hobos. Yes, I use that as a compliment. Yes, it sounds silly. Deal with it. Silly is my business. Special thank you to SirLightKnight and YellowBeetle123 for the reviews I saw shortly after awakening today, which got me geared up to start on chapter thirteen (today being 5/25/2020)! You two are part of the reason this chapter will be up as soon as it is! Thank you! Also, with the finishing of the touchup of this chapter for naming bs, I'm finally done with what will probably be the most tedious part of writing this fic! TAKE THAT, TEDIUM!

"Normal speech."

"**Buff Might/AI speech."**

'_Thinking.'_

"_Telepathy."_

'Sign language.'

A Few Minutes After Where We Left Off

Izuku sat within his prep room, mulling over what Mashirao had told him about his opponent previously.

'_Don't speak with him? If only it were that easy, Ojiro-san. Your pride and your commitment to your friends is admirable, but you're wrong to see Shinso-sani as an enemy. He needs this more than any of us do, I think, bar Todoroki-san,'_ the verdette mused silently as he gazed at nothing, his stare simply facing the floor but not really seeing it.

'_And speaking of Todoroki-san, well, that's an entire other can of worms. I don't like using my powers the way I did, but looking into the motivations of Endeavor-san was a lot easier when I just bit the bullet and poked around in his head. I'll need to talk to them both soon,'_ he thought as he stood up, sensing that he was going to need to be out there soon. Forming a fist with his hand, he made a vow.

"Todoroki-san, Shinso-san. I will help you both."

Out In The Stadium

Except for Shoto, Mezo, Fumikage, and Momo, the entirety of 1-A was cheering loudly, in their own various ways. Mina and Eijiro had even convinced Koji to cheer out loud, causing even Shoto to crack a bit of a smile upon hearing the normally silent boy's shouts of joy.

"Show 'em what you're made of, Midoriya!"

"Represent us well, Midoriya-kun!"

"FRIEND HIM IN THE EYEBAGS, NERD!"

Izuku chuckled at his friends' commentary as he walked out of the tunnel and into the light, a bit nervous but confident in his plan to help Hitoshi. If he was lucky, his body would retain its consciousness when his quirk took hold, and if not...Well, he hoped the rules allowed for what he and Ochako found out happened when he lost consciousness.

"All right, listeners! In this corner, from Class 1-A, he's somebody a lot of us here at U.A. have grown fond of, already! Half dark lord of the sith, half newtype! He's an adorable cinnamon bun beneath the intimidating powers, though! Give a shout for the Vice Rep with a heart of gold, Midoriya Izuku!"

The cheers had his blue aura flooding off of him, the boy directing it skyward to prevent it from coming near his opponent before the match even started. He waved awkwardly at the crowd, then turned to where his mom was sitting and sent a thumbs up her way. Her joy and pride sent his blue aura pillar up at least another kilometer on their own!

And then his aura cooled down and went back to green as he was reminded of what he needed to do, his opponent's irritation and sadness making its way into his head.

"And from Class 1-C, a natural cosplayer of my BFF Shota! His power is mysterious, and the aura he gives off is as intense as his stare! The underdog from General Studies, and _another_ kid I want to see do well, give it up for Shinso Hitoshi! Oh, snap! No matter who wins here, I lose! Shota, is it too late to change the bracket?"

In the booth, Eraserhead rolled his eyes. "Sorry about my colleague. He's cursed with stupidity. However, he's not the only one eager to see this match," the drowsy homeroom teacher droned.

Hizashi grinned, preparing a verbal jab. "Oh really? He looks so much like you, Shota! He's not your secret love child or anything like that, is he? Fukukado-chan will be so-" the verbal jab was interrupted with a real one, Hizashi's mic getting cut off as he was knocked over.

"Fukukado-san, I see you typing. Don't you dare start bothering me. I'm working right now," Shota said, knowing for a fact that his fellow underground hero was watching the event.

The Voice Hero was back up in seconds, getting back to his commentary. "Anyway, this first match is gonna be something else, I feel it in my soul!" he exclaimed.

In the ring, Midnight looked between the two combatants, with Cementoss off to the side for a bit more oomph in case things got out of hand. "I want a clean fight out of you two! The rules are simple. If you touch the ground outside the ring, you lose. If you surrender, you lose. If you get knocked out or immobilized, you lose. If you try to kill or maim your opponent, you lose, you get restrained, and you probably get expelled. You kiddos got that?" she asked. After a nod from both students, she grinned. "Outside of that, Anything goes. Midoriya Izuku, you ready?"

The green-eyed powerhouse nodded, locking eyes with his opponent.

"Shinso Hitoshi, you ready?"

The mind-warper grinned and nodded, also focusing exclusively on his opponent.

Midnight grinned and gave a thumbs up, signalling Present Mic.

"READYYYYY? CLASH!"

Izuku began glowing, his green aura beginning to move towards his opponent, before the purple-haired boy spoke. "Your classmate's a real dunce, isn't he? Throwing away his spot in the final event like he did. What a complete moron!" the dominator of others' actions jeered, attempting to get a rise out of his opponent before his aura could touch him.

Izuku frowned a bit, and responded, "Please don't ta-"

His eyes went blank, and his green aura flew back into him, disappearing for now. Hitoshi frowned. "Wow. I'm actually kinda disappointed. I thought I'd have to work harder for that. Oh well. What's done is done. Now turn around and walk out of the ring, like a good little hero," the boy commanded, Izuku's body turning around to do just that, currently not under his control.

In the stands, Izuku's classmates, outside of a select few, were flipping out. "Damnit, Midoriya-san! I told you how to avoid his quirk! You _knew_ he was baiting you!" Mashirao shouted, the martial artist furious with the current turn of events.

'I don't understand! Why would he throw the match like this? It's not like him to just give up like that!' the animal whisperer signed to his seatmates, Mina translating in real time as Eijiro copied the movements himself.

"WOULD YOU DUMB FUCKS SHUT UP?! LOOK AT ROUND FACE!" Katsuki erupted, prompting them to do just that. Upon doing so, they realized something.

"Wait, she's not upset at all. Heck, she's even grinning," Kyoka stated, a confused expression on her face.

"He's not out yet, then, is he?" Shoto asked softly, spooking one or two of his classmates.

Ochako nodded, her grin exploding as she jumped up and shouted, "Do it, Midoriya-kun! Show them why you're gonna be the next number one hero!"

Hitoshi rolled his eyes down in the arena, having noticed the shift in mood amongst the 1-A students going back to positivity. "Are they stupid? I have him under my control. In a few seconds, he'll get to the edge of the ring, and it'll be over," he said, confident in his victory.

"_I'm going to need you to apologize to Ojiro-san later, Shinso-san. It wouldn't do for the two of you to be at each other's throats every day,"_ a familiar voice said in the hypnotizer's head. Hitoshi's eyes widened when a wall of green appeared in front of his foe, which then pushed into the greenette in question, knocking him out of his mind control. Izuku turned around, and Hitoshi was startled by what he saw.

The boy was smiling, but he was also crying, his eyes red with tears.

"_It was hard, wasn't it? I looked into your heart, to find out more about who you are. Your pain is so bad. It hurts, even now when I'm not feeling for it. Being born with a trait that society decided made you less than others. It might surprise you, but I know that pain, too,"_ the freckled boy said as he floated over to his fellow U.A. student.

Hitoshi stumbled back a bit, then snarled at his foe. "What would somebody like _you_ know about it? You were born with a magnificent, beautiful, _heroic_ quirk! What would you know about being told you'd never be a hero, that your power could only be used for villainy?! HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I WENT THROUGH TO GET HERE?!" he erupted, rushing at the fool before him.

With a blow filled with rage and hurt, Hitoshi's fist found its way to Izuku's cheek, the boy stumbling back a little, despite never descending. However, Izuku let out a blow of his own. One less visible than Hitoshi's.

"_Deku!"_

"_Useless Deku!"_

"_Quirkless loser!"_

"_Defenseless Izuku!"_

Snippets of a life not his own flashed in front of the eyes of Hitoshi Shinso, as he stared at the hand he'd just punched the boy before him with. "What the fuck? You're...You're not quirkless, though…" he said dumbly.

Izuku shook his head, and startled Hitoshi even further when he spoke out loud to him. "If you'd asked me a year ago, I'd have either said I was quirkless, or I'd have tried to run away from the subject. I'm a late bloomer, you see. I've only had this power for around eleven months now, so while they were mistaken in their labelling, I bore the stigma of quirklessness. Being written off before I could even really try hurt a lot. It did for you, and it did for me," the freckled empath said sadly to the teen in front of him, then smiled a bit brighter and continued, "But it's all right now. Do you know why?"

Hitoshi frowned, though there was less spite behind it than before. "What, because you're here? Trying to emulate All Might, huh?" he retorted, a little upset at his opponent potentially getting a big head.

The short superhero cracked a grin and laughed a little, before he stopped himself. "No, Shinso-san! It's all right now because _you're_ here!" he exclaimed, startling the amethyst-haired mind-wiper before him. With a smile, Izuku explained, "I had nothing to do with the hard work you put in to get to this point, and that hard work is going to pay off! I can literally hear the staff making plans to put you in the heroics course at this very second! I don't know if you'll be in my class or 1-B, but if you get put in my class, then welcome to 1-A in advance! We have fun here."

Hitoshi could only blink at hearing this. His stupor was interrupted by an explosion ascending from the 1-A seats. "FUCK YEEEEAAAH! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!" Katsuki Bakugou erupted.

Like that, all of the extroverts in 1-A joined him. "ONE OF US! ONE OF US! ONE OF US!"

"DAMNIT, SHOTA! YOU TOLD ME HE MIGHT MAKE ME CRY, AND I THOUGHT I WAS READY! I WAS WRONG! SO WRONG! WAAAAAHHH!" Present Mic wailed from the commentator's booth, his mic not being the source of his voice.

Shota decked his friend and spoke into his mic in the few seconds of peace he was given. "Start beating the crap out of each other before he ruptures my eardrums. I only have two, and this is a match, not a counseling session. Show us what you can do, both of you problem children," the underground pro commanded, his gaze meeting Hitoshi's for a moment.

Izuku smirked at his fellow hero in training. "Well, how about we give them what they want? I'll come at you a bit harder now, so be ready," he warned, then floated back to where he started before, the green aura shifting to blue in seconds as it swirled around him.

Hitoshi, having seen what the boy clad in cobalt aura before him could do when he was in a good mood, got ready to do the only thing he really could against this.

Dodge.

Izuku came flying at him like a missle, speeding beyond the boundaries of the ring, and ascending into the sky as he prepared to come at him again. And come at him he did. Hitoshi managed to dodge several times, having trained for heroics for a long time, before his opponent started picking up speed, passing by him more swiftly, and more closely.

Sadly, while he was able to dodge a lot of the attacks, one hit eventually. Hitoshi flew from the ring so suddenly he wasn't even aware he'd been hit until he was over the grass and gasping for breath. Instead of crashing into the ground, though, he was deposited gently onto the grass below, his former opponent landing back in the arena with a grin on his face and a thumbs up aimed at him.

"Shinso Hitoshi is out of bounds! Midoriya Izuku wins!" Nemuri announced with a wide smile.

The glowing blue boy floated over to Hitoshi and helped him up, then held out a fist for him. The insomniac gave a grin that was eerily similar to Eraserhead's, and connected the fist bump. Izuku floated himself and his new friend over to the 1-A seats, nobody stopping him. One apology to Mashirao and Yuga later, and the controller of minds started being woven into the tapestry of 1-A, whether he was part of the class officially or not.

Hanta, having stuck around for the end of the match, gave a sheepish grin. Shoto had made his way to the prep room he was assigned to as soon as Izuku started glowing blue, knowing the match would be over soon after, but Hanta couldn't get enough of watching his new friend fly around like a really happy rocket.

"Hey, guys, I know I'm probably not going to win, but wish me luck, okay?" the lanky boy said with a bit of uncertainty.

Katsuki roared, leaping out of his seat and slapping him. "GROW A PAIR AND GET DOWN THERE! YOU'RE REPRESENTING THE BAKUSQUAD, SERO! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, SHOW THESE EXTRAS WHAT THAT FUCKING MEANS!" the raging explosion screamed.

Rubbing a hand against his sore cheek, Hanta grinned. "Wow, for an asshole, you're really good at motivating people, huh?" the tape-slinger remarked. With a roar and an explosion, Katsuki expressed his enthusiasm. "All right, all right, I'll get down there!"

Rolling up a sleeve to the elbow, Hanta made his way to the edge of their row, gave a jaunty salute, and backflipped straight off, firing off his tape to grab the wall as he rappelled down to the ground below. Detaching himself from the wall, the black-haired boy made his way to the arena. Less than a minute passed before Shoto joined him.

"Now for our second match of the day! In one corner, from Class 1-A, a wielder of one helluva versatile quirk! Any range is grappling range with this kid! Make some noise for Sero Hanta!"

The crowd cheered wildly, though 1-A's odd cheer squad cheered far louder. Nearly all their class was part of it, but it could still be argued that Katsuki made up fifty percent of it, from sheer enthusiasm and explosive fury alone.

"FIGHT HIM! BEAT HIM! **GIVE HIM A HUG!"** the walking, talking hand grenade roared, sounding ominous at the end despite the subject matter.

"And in the other corner, also hailing from 1-A! He's hot! He's cold! His frigid attitude hides a raging inferno of determination beneath! Give it up for the son of ice and fire, Todoroki Shoto!"

The heterochromatic boy only stared blankly at his foe, not reacting at all to the cheers coming from his classmates or the crowd.

The modern arts history teacher looked between her students. "Same rules apply as before. Sero Hanta, are you ready?"

"More than I probably should be!"

"Todoroki Shoto, are you ready?"

"Yes."

Upon seeing the thumbs up, the Voice Hero did his thing. "READYYY? CLASH!"

With a smirk, Hanta lifted an arm and slung his tape out, wrapping it around his classmate in less than a second. "I'm probably not gonna win this, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN I WON'T MAKE YOU WORK FOR IT!" the grinning boy roared, then pulled, intending to send the hot and cold quirk user out of bounds.

"Sorry, but I don't have time for games like you," the frigid boy replied softly. In seconds, an incredible amount of ice had formed, halting Shoto's near ring out, and completely immobilizing his opponent, who only had his head poking out. The crowd gaped in awe at the glacier that was suddenly towering over them.

Shivering, Midnight asked, "S-Sero-san, can you m-move? P-please be honest."

Through chattering teeth, Hanta responded. "Hell n-no! I g-give up!" he exclaimed.

"S-Sero Hanta surrenders! T-Todoroki Shoto w-wins! Somebody get me a hot ch-chocolate, and s-send Sero-san to the inf-firmary!" the heroic beauty announced.

Before Shoto could move to get Hanta out, Izuku's green aura made its way to his trapped classmate, surrounding him and expanding a bit. With a bit of creative use of his green shields, Izuku broke the ice enough to free the tape user, and carried him over to their group, where he and Katsuki each gave him a shoulder, carrying him to the infirmary.

Hanta sighed, a frown on his face. "Sorry I couldn't represent the Bakusquad well, Bakugou-san," he said, disheartened at his quick defeat.

"Shut up, dumbass."

Hanta's frown deepened, feeling like he actually upset his friend.

With a bit of a sigh, Izuku spoke up. "Kacchan, he doesn't speak Kacchanese yet. You need to elaborate," he said with a reassuring smile to the boy they were carrying.

"Fine then, nerd. You did fucking great, Sero. Your loss was pretty much guaranteed from the start, but you didn't back down. You looked defeat in its pretty face and heterochromatic eyes, and you tried to So Long Gay Bowser it. We're going over tactics later, though. Bring first aid bullshit, because it never hurts to have extra healing crap," Katsuki said with a terrifying grin as he continued looking forward.

Hanta chuckled. "His pretty face? Didn't know you were gay, bro," he said, his grin returning with a vengeance.

Katsuki snorted in amusement. "First off, I'm Bi. Second, I don't have to be sexually attracted to a person to find their face pretty. Just ask the nerd. He's straight, but he still thinks some of the dudes in our class have good-looking faces," he said with a chuckle.

Izuku face palmed with his free hand. "He didn't exactly explain it that well, but he's right. You can still think somebody you're not sexually attracted to looks good. Like he said, I'm straight, but dang, some of you look guys look really damn handsome. Seriously, have you seen Iida-kun's face when he gets serious? That is one badass-looking face," the curly-haired boy elaborated.

The ash-blond nodded in agreement, and Hanta was left for a few moments to contemplate this new information as they trudged to the infirmary. Before they could get there, though…

Izuku groaned. "Fuck it all. I'll leave some green aura to help carry him the rest of the way. I've gotta go deal with something," he complained loudly, before doing as he said and leaving them with the green aura, the odd particles continuing to carry half of Hanta's weight.

"Where do you think he's going?" Hanta asked, a look of concern on his face.

Katsuki grit his teeth. He felt that frustration before from his friend. "Somebody needs help, and he's going to help them. Before you ask, no, it's not dangerous. If it was, he'd have told us to get some pros," he answered tersely, before wondering to himself, _'You would get help in a situation like that, right? Stupid fucking nerd. Now I've got a fucking bleeding heart, too.'_

Further away, Izuku smiled fondly as his oldest friend's thoughts and feelings were conveyed accidentally. _'I'm glad you're my friend, Kacchan,'_ he thought to himself as he floated through the halls as quickly as his green aura would allow him.

In Another Part Of The Building

The Flame Hero, Endeavor, was irritated. He had been in a bad mood for a very, very long time now. As he moved through the halls with purpose, he didn't even bother responding to a student trying to get his attention, walking straight past the punk. That changed when a wall of green blocked his path.

"Endeavor-san, it's incredibly rude to ignore a kid trying to get your attention. I understand that you're in a hurry, but please be more aware of your surroundings," the twig of a boy said, suddenly sounding like he was simultaneously terrified and furious.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, Endeavor turned around to speak to the whelp impeding him. "Midoriya Izuku. What do you want, brat?" he growled lowly.

The boy trembled, obviously intimidated, but he refused to back down, maintaining eye contact even as he was on the verge of tears. "What I want, is for you to explain yourself," he answered, his voice almost as shaky as he was.

The number two hero frowned, shame crossing his face for only an instant before his features schooled themselves. "So, my troublesome son told you, did he? I don't need to explain my methods to a pebble in the road like you. Buzz off," he said, waving the boy off like he was swatting a fly with the back of his hand.

"I wasn't asking you to explain yourself to me. I'm not the family you're trying so desperately to put back together, after all," the kid said, startling him with the revelation.

Endeavor's glare turned steely. "You've got some balls using your quirk on me like that, kid. You know I could have you locked up for that, right?" he challenged.

For some reason, the kid stopped trembling. That was weird. Shouldn't the threat of jail have him be trembling more? "It's a good thing two of our bigger goals align then, I guess. You want Shoto to use his fire and do right by your family, and I want the same. It hurts, seeing why you did what you did. The desperation you felt when you put the pieces together and found out that Japan had only a few decades to find another Symbol of Peace. Society is way too reliant on All Might right now, you're right. However…" at this, he started trembling again. "The ends don't justify the means, Endeavor-san! If you were so afraid of our society's relative peace being shattered so easily, you should have talked to All Might about it! If you had, you'd have known that he's worried about that too...You could have worked things out! Hell, you should _still_ let him know about your concerns! More importantly, though, for the love of God, explain to your wife and kids that you didn't _want_ it to be like this…"

With a bit of a frown, Enji walked up to this young man before him and placed his hand on his head. "You're a good kid. You've clearly got a good head on your shoulders, and you care more than you have to. I'm glad Shoto has a friend like you. Thanks for the advice," he said simply, then walked back the way he came.

As the number two hero walked, he looked at the hand he'd touched that Izuku kid with. _'I haven't patted a kid's head like that since Touya…'_ he thought to himself sadly as he sought an out of the way enough area to be alone.

'_Can't have the public see the number two hero break down in tears, after all.'_


	11. Chapter 11

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Eleven_

Once more, I thank my editors Penguin Lord0029 and nightwind83. They are hilarious and you will quote everything they say.

"Normal speech."

"**Buff Might/AI/Rage Mode Bakugo (or other people, but mostly Bakugou) speech."**

'_Thoughts/accidental telepathy.'_

"_Telepathy."_

'Sign language.'

Outside Of The Stadium, With Gentleman, Lady Love, And One Other

The pair of former villains were making their rounds, signing a few autographs here and there when requested, though making sure that one of the pair kept their eyes and ears open at all times, not wanting to get bamboozled when in the middle of working security. As La Brava finished signing an autograph for a kid who also had a quirk that was exclusively a support-type, she turned to their friend, who was invisible to everybody in the area aside from them.

Truly, they were working security, but they were mainly there to ensure U.A.'s less-than-visible security agent didn't have any issues. Aureck was choosy of who she interacted with, but with the added visible security along with her invisible presence, there was little chance that a villain would make it far if they breached the grounds. It was with a smile that Lady Love patted her friend on the back, intent on a bit of smalltalk when they made their way somewhere with less people.

The unseen enigma rolled her eyes despite the smile on her face, and the three of them made their way to the woods. Might as well take a quick break, and they couldn't interact with their unseen comrade as freely as they wanted if they were in a populated area. Once they'd made it far enough that the unseen young woman said they were clear, Manami let out a giggle and asked her friend, "So, how is it? Are you happy he's doing as well as he is?" she asked, a grin on her face as she looked up expectantly at her reclusive friend.

Aureck smiled sadly. "Yeah. That blue aura is really something. I wish I could have seen _him_ use it, though...It's a shame my little brother never got to be happy like Midoriya-san is. I guess that's what you get with a proper childhood where you're raised with love, huh?" the woman said, lamenting her childhood, or lack thereof.

The former villainess grinned mischievously. "Speaking of love, I heard through the grapevine that you've been hiding a romantic partner from me! Who's the lucky sonuvagun? What are their favorite movies? How did you meet?" Lady Love quizzed her friend, her eyes glowing in excitement.

Placing a gentle hand on his wife's head, Danjuro attempted to calm the young woman down. "Now, honey, don't be so nosy. I'm curious about her partner as well, but that's information for Aureck-san to divulge. You wouldn't want to make her feel shy and run off, would you?" the hammiest of the trio chastised, looking smashing as ever as he did so.

Aureck giggled a little, excited at how her life was turning out. The traces of blue aura that she still felt in the air were like a drug, making her happier than she was used to being. "You'll be meeting them soon enough. I just need to get Mom's permission to bring them on campus. It took a few years to bring them out of their shell, and even so, they've still got issues, but I think they and I have helped each other. Kinda like Izuku and Uraraka-san. I wonder if the little green bean will get around to realizing what the Bond means? He's really smart, so he can probably help me figure a few other things out," the woman, feeling unusually giddy, explained to her friends.

The pink pigtailed heroine smirked, having struck gold. "So, they're non-binary, huh? Good to know, Aureck-chan!" she exclaimed, then leaped to high five her husband. Seeing as it would be impolite to leave somebody hanging, the gentlemanly former villain reciprocated.

With a chuckle of her own, Aureck retorted. "I mean, you're technically not wrong, but that's not the main reason for the non-binary pronouns. Your theory that I gravitate towards good people holds true with them, but it looks like I also pick out the craziest morons to befriend," she added fondly.

The trio had made it over to one of their little nooks away from the main paths. It was a nice area, that shared a few counterparts across the campus if you knew where to look, that several members of the staff had set up for Aureck and the few friends she spent time with. The two ladies took a seat, while Gentleman poured them some tea. He turned on a monitor that had been set up, and turned to his wife and friend with a sheepish smile. "I'll keep patrolling, but you two may check out a few matches in the meantime. Your friend Hatsume-kun will be up soon, Aureck-san. I suggest you watch. If I find anything, I'll just send you a ping," Danjuro suggested. The young woman in question shooed him away with a grin, the three of them realizing that soon had become now. The man chuckled good naturedly as he headed back to the more populated areas of the campus, his friend gazing at the screen with anticipation.

Back At The Arena

Tenya grinned confidently at the young woman across from him. He had seen her gimmick, but power armors wouldn't stop him. He'd have to be careful to dodge their weapons, but he was well-suited to that, having one of the fastest quirks in the school, along with quicker reaction times than most humans without quirks that explicitly granted such a boon. However…

The gleam in her eyes made him somewhat nervous. It was like she saw more than just an opponent before her. What was going through her mind?

Meanwhile, in Mei's mind, the mad engineer was figuring out which power armor to best display her technological genius. She noted her opponent's quirk, going through her mental database to come to a decision. It didn't take long, however, she'd need to make time for her weapon of choice to arrive, due to it not being in the pod currently.

"Iida Tenya, are you ready?"

"Yes, Sensei!"

"Hatsume Mei, are you ready?"

"Affirmative!"

Midnight raised her thumb, and the man with a mouth with a mic screamed, "READYYYY? CLASH!"

Pressing a sequence of buttons on a glove she'd put on before the match, Mei's hover boots activated, and her pod sent another power armor careening down to the arena, the machine preventing itself from slamming into the ground as it levelled out and approached the teenage genius.

Tenya saw this, and grinned. "You'll have to try harder than that!" he shouted as he intercepted the power armor, landing a powerful kick into it and flinging it off course. A voice from way too close spooked him, however.

"Bold of you to assume I wasn't trying harder already!" the tentacle-haired girl exclaimed as her arms wrapped around the hero-in-training, and with a roar of power, the girl's hover boots went into overdrive, the two of them rising from the arena. "You ever play Pokemon, Iida-chan? Here's a fighting type move you might recognize!"

With a flip in the air, Mei used Seismic Toss! However, Tenya's used to fighting, so it wasn't very effective!

"OH, AND A BLOW FROM THE ANCIENT PAST! WE'VE SEEN MOBILE SUITS AS WELL AS POKEMON ATTACKS NOW! WHAT OTHER POP CULTURE SHENANIGANS WILL WE SEE TODAY, FOLKS?"

Tenya grit his teeth in frustration, despite his easy landing. _'Now she's free to get in her power armor!'_ he thought to himself. _'There goes an easy win.'_

And just as he thought this, the power armor opened up and took her into it, the pink mono-eye looking startlingly menacing on the blue machine as she dove to the field. "You think you can beat me with a zaku?" the second son of the Ingenium line challenged, landing a kick that sent the girl flying back.

He could hear the grin in her reply. "This is no Zaku, boy," with tactical use of the thrusters, Mei reoriented herself in the air and flew back at Tenya with a powerful slobberknocker, her armored fist meeting his jaw. "NO ZAKU!"

Tenya landed painfully, but got up, ready to give his opponent everything he's got. He was startled when a metal cord wrapped around his arm, constricting itself to prevent his escape. "What the heck-?"

"YOU DONE GOUFED!" Mei shouted, and electricity went through Tenya's body momentarily before stopping, the bluenette gritting his teeth as he pushed himself through the pain and flew at his opponent. She had other plans, however, as a beeping in her ear alerted her to something and she ascended into the sky and out of his range.

"I must insist you descend this instant! We cannot fight if you are up there!" Tenya shouted from below, unaware of the ranged attacks his opponent could fire off at any time. He was surprised when the machine ejected her high above the arena, and the girl started free falling, the Gouf returning to the pod from whence it came. Concerned, Tenya moved to try and catch her, but the touching attempt at heroism was unnecessary.

A red power armor, more elaborate in its appearance, opened up as it flew past, picking up its occupant as it did so. In seconds, it returned, and dropped down to the arena, the mono-eye flashing green this time as it pulled a rocket launcher off of its back. With laughter born of madness, Mei roared, "DOOOOOODGE!"

Tenya didn't need to be told twice, doing just as his opponent said. He didn't regret it, seeing as when he got an opportunity to check, he saw a sticky substance that would have stopped him in his tracks, speedy quirk or not. He continued dodging her shots, until she stopped to reload. _'Now's my chance!'_ the blue blur thought to himself as he sped at his opponent with a roar.

It was almost comical. Mei simply ascended, her opponent's attack no longer having a target, and Tenya slowed himself down to prevent himself from falling out of the arena. Actually, he almost did, but the girl finished reloading and fired a shot, sticking the heroics course student to the very edge of the arena before he could ring himself out. "Thanks for getting hit, by the way. Now I can show off the solution I use to get rid of that sticky stuff," Mei said casually, pressing a button that flipped the barrel of her weapon, and firing another rocket. A substance exploded from it that ate away at the material that stuck Tenya to the arena, and thankfully only that material. The boy quickly moved away from the edge, launching a kick at the sinanju-encased girl, only for Mei to block with her shield, and float away to the field outside the ring.

"Hatsume Mei has left the ring! The winner is Iida Tenya!"

The honest boy blinked, not understanding what had just happened. "What? Why did you forfeit?" he asked, aghast at what his opponent had done.

Mei busied herself with a device in her hands for a moment before turning to respond. "Sorry about that. You probably wanted a proper fight, but I'm from the support course. My goals aren't the same as yours, and I've already achieved mine for the festival. Plenty of support companies have seen what my babies can do, and there's no reason to prevent you from getting an internship, so I made the logical choice. That was a real rush, though! Not enough room for a proper fight, considering your quirk and the mobility of my power armors, but I had fun. I'll have to see if I can make something capable of matching your higher speeds when you've got the time, though I doubt I'll be able to make something that can match your top speed without outside help anytime soon," the girl explained, her eyes occasionally zooming in and out as she spoke to him.

The two made their way into the tunnel he'd emerged from. Tenya would have told her that she was going the wrong way, since her fellow support course students would be reached more quickly if she'd gone back through the other tunnel, but this was the girl who worked on Izuku's hero gear. She probably had something to say to him. Thankfully, despite her texting, she didn't get lost. Smiling a bit, Tenya decided to be friendly. "So, who are you talking to?" he asked, genuinely curious.

With a chuckle, the pink-haired girl responded. "Just a childhood friend. We've kept in touch, and she let me know ahead of time she'd be watching. She's also upset that the arena wasn't bigger, since it would be a better fight if we could both go at top speed. She was pretty impressed with it, regardless," she said with a fond smile.

The speedy hero frowned slightly. "You seem less enthusiastic than normal. Are you all right, Hatsume-san?" he asked, his concern obvious.

The locked on girl barked out a laugh. "I'm fine, Ingenium Jr. I've just gone too long without sleep. As soon as I get something settled with Midoriya-chan and another one of your classmates, I'm going to sleep for a day and a half, then get back to work," Mei explained.

Tenya smiled at the girl next to him, making sure she didn't fall over as they made their way to the 1-A section. Considering how much she was swaying, she wasn't joking about needing sleep.

Before long, they had made it to their destination, only to find they'd missed a match. "Damn, Ashido! Swift and decisive! So damn MANLY!" Eijiro cheered as they emerged from the innards of the stadium's main structure.

Adjusting his Glasses of Awkwardness, Tenya scolded his classmate. "Kirishima-san, I understand that you use that term as a compliment, but Ashido-san identifies as a girl! I do not think it appropriate to use your typical compliment in such a situation!" the boy arm-chopped.

The Crimson Fanboy just turned and grinned. "It's all good, Iida-san. Ashido and I are Horn Buddies! She knows what's up," he said, not really explaining anything while he tried to calm his classmate down.

Before Tenya could try and ask him to explain what a horn buddy was, Mei shoved the bluenette to the side as she made her way to Izuku. "That the girl who wants to be visible?" she asked bluntly, pointing at Tooru. Izuku nodded, a bit nervous at her demeanor. "Cool. Imma nab some of her hair and pass out. Send me back to my workshop afterwards."

Izuku, Ochako, and everybody else in their row and the ones behind gaped as the rosette stumbled in the general direction of Tooru before pulling a tiny...something out of her pocket and using it to remove a bit of their classmate's hair before pocketing the device once more. Tooru, for her part, didn't seem to notice, too busy cheering on Momo as she fought Fumikage and Dark Shadow. The mad child of Gundam stumbled back, attempting to get to Izuku, but stopped in front of Tenya and just stood there. After a full ten seconds, everybody who witnessed the event realized what happened.

'_SHE FELL ASLEEP STANDING UP?!'_

With a groan, Izuku facepalmed. "I'll ask Hagakure-san if what she just did was okay. Iida-kun, keep her from falling over in the meantime, please?" the ninth inheritor asked his friend before making his way over to their invisible classmate. The speedster nodded dumbly, too freaked out by the girl before him leaning forward and using him for support unconsciously. He made sure she didn't fall over, obviously, but having a lovely young lady basically draped over him was making him uneasy.

"_Midoriya-kun! While I am proud that you're recognizing that you shouldn't do everything yourself, I question your decision to have me support this unconscious girl when you _know_ you can do so yourself!"_ the bespectacled boy telepathed to his friend as loudly as he could, an eyebrow twitching as he glared at the back of his green head.

Tenya could feel the smile on his friend's face, even if he couldn't see it. _"You need more friends, and from what I've gathered, so does she. I felt like the two of you could mesh well together. You could learn more about the support side of heroics, and she could learn more about the more physical aspect of it. Besides…"_ As Izuku continued his explanation, Tenya could feel his happiness going from the joy of seeing friends do well to the glee from a bit of petty vengeance. _"I did my best to keep my assumptions to myself, but to have it confirmed that the little brother of one of my favorite heroes is my friend, and for him to not tell me? I'm a bit upset, so I decided this would make a good prank."_

Before Tenya could congratulate his classmate for his less than harmful attempt to experiment with his social knowledge or lack thereof, he could sense the boy begin panicking nervously as he turned to look at Ochako and Katsuki, probably having a mental conversation with the two. The former chuckled a bit with an encouraging smile, while the latter face-palmed and grimaced a bit.

Tenya simply grinned. _"I think I can guess what you're worried about. It's fine, Midoriya-kun. Your prank was acceptable, though I would suggest not making them so...physical in the future. I would be happy to talk to you about my brother later!"_ he informed his class vice rep.

Izuku nodded as he turned around, a relieved smile on his face as he powered up his blue aura and left with Mei, obviously wanting to be quick enough not to miss the next match. With a grin that promised destruction of the irregular kinetic variety, the collective rage and nitroglycerin sweat of Class 1-A that was Katsuki made his way to the waiting rooms. With a giggle and a wave of her deceptively deadly hands, Ochako followed, to head to her own waiting room. "Midoriya-kun says you're in charge until Yaoyorozu-san or he gets back, Iida-kun!" she called back before she vanished from view.

The orange juice-fuelled hero-in-training smiled before discreetly checking his phone, which still had no new notifications. With a slight frown, the boy turned to watch the rest of the match.

With Izuku And Mei, Outside Of The Workshop

With a sound Izuku was beginning to recognize as his aura acting as propulsion, the verdette landed near his destination, getting ready to bring out his 'key' so to speak. Before the docking station could open up, though, the front door opened on its own, and one of Mei's power suits came out, this one similar in design to the one she'd fought with at the end of the match. The machine held its arms out, gesturing for Izuku to hand Mei over to it. With a chuckle, Izuku commented to himself, "Hatsume-san, your inventions sure are helpful. You've even got one to help get you to bed." He was a bit startled when a voice that definitely wasn't an Ai responded.

"The power suit is hers, but she lets me use it from time to time when i want to interact with somebody without lowering my shields. I figured she'd be okay if i used it without asking this time," a girl's voice responded.

Izuku blinked before putting two and two together. "You're...Aureck-san, right?" he asked, refraining from handing Mei over in case it was somebody else with a similar ability.

The mech nodded. "Yup. You're smart. You came to the correct assumption, but also stopped yourself from handing Meimei over in case you were wrong. Here's your proof," the girl hidden within said, before he suddenly was able to sense her intent, though he was cut off before he could dig any deeper. With a hesitant nod, he handed the mechanical genius over, ready to pull her back in case this was still an imposter. "Let's get her inside quickly and get this bit over with. Your best friends are gonna have a crazy awesome match, and I know I'm not the only one here who wants to see them show off," the girl, because that's all he could gather from her voice, suggested as she cradled Mei with a startling amount of care.

It didn't take long for the two of them to get Mei situated, and the mech-encased enigma opened a panel on her armor and set a pair of timers. "One for starting up her cold brew, and the other for when it's safe to wake her up. She prefers her coffee fast, so cold brew is the only way for her outside of just pouring regular coffee on ice. So, are there any non-invasive questions you have for me? Ones that I can answer quickly, preferably."

Izuku thought for a moment, trying to think of something that wouldn't be too personal, but might get the person across from him to open up. "You...sound like you're my age. Not exactly, but, like, the same age group...Sorry if this is inconsiderate, but I'd thought somebody of your reputation would be a little bit...older?" the verdette supplied, hoping the reference would help keep his conversation partner from being upset.

He could feel the mirthful smile behind the helmet, the green mono-eye seeming to shine a bit brighter for an instant. "General Midoriya. You're shorter than I expected. You're all right. Normally it would be rude to ask a girl her age, but I've come to terms with the bullshit around my appearance a while ago. I look and sound nearly a decade younger than i am. That sounds nice on paper, but there's gross stuff involved that morons seeking an extended lifespan don't typically think about. I'm not like this willingly, mind you, but I'm a lot more familiar with what goes into it than I will ever be comfortable with. Got another question, kid?"

The hero in training decided to try pushing his luck a bit. "My...sperm donor...He's actually dead, right? I don't have to worry about him showing up someday to hurt my mom again?" he asked, his green eyes flashing with concern.

The red helm nodded. "Yeah. The heroes wanted to take him alive, but...I couldn't let him live. He had knowledge that should never be used the way he'd intended to. Knowledge no person should seek. After making sure it was gone from the world, I removed everything related to that info from my memory, outside of what he'd intended to do with it. Couldn't let somebody get the specifics out of me after I'd gone through so much trouble to destroy the data," she said, and Izuku could tell she didn't like talking about the man.

'_I should probably look for a way to salvage this, then leave politely. I screwed up,'_ he thought to himself, then jumped a bit when the green monoeye flashed.

"Yeah, I'm upset, but you didn't screw up, and you don't need to salvage anything. Regardless, you should leave soon. Meimei will probably want to binge watch the Universal Century Gundam series with you and Uraraka-san when she gets up. Be grateful she's got a list of essential episodes, because there's no way you'd be able to get through the whole timeline when you're not on break. More importantly, it seems like your friends have already started their match," she said, and Izuku took that as his cue to leave.

Bowing politely, the verdette quietly left, flying away with his green aura. When he was sufficiently far away, the power armor opened up, and Aureck emerged. "I need to tell him soon. It's not right for me to keep him in the dark like this," she said, then gazed at her friend, who was less asleep than she'd pretended to be. "You mind helping me get in his house?"

Mei grumbled. "You could just ask his mom. You and I both know she wants to meet you, and it's not like you're going there to do anything weird," the rosette complained sleepily.

Aureck stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Blegh. Don't imply gross things. Fine, I'll do it your way. Just don't let Izuku know, Meimei," she said, smiling at her friend despite the conversation topic.

The maker of destructive items rolled her eyes. "Sure thing, Ko-chan," she mumbled. Before Aureck could retort, she'd fallen asleep. With a sigh, the ghost of a girl sat down.

"I'm lucky I have such good friends," she said, patting Mei's head before docking the power armor she'd been using and heading back out.


	12. Chapter 12

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twelve_

A/N: Thanks a batman (Ottoman unit of weight measurement. It was pronounced exactly the way you think.) to my readers, friends, and most importantly, my editors, who keep poking me to keep this going. The real MVPs, you are.

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/Explosive Kacchan/AI/Angry character speech."**

_"Telepathy."_

_'Thinking/Unintentional telepathy.'_

'Sign Language.'

Several Minutes Prior To The End Of Chapter Eleven

Katsuki and Ochako resolved to walk to their match together, not too worried about preparing. Due to their...unique relationship, there wasn't much they didn't know about the other, Izuku having previously filled the former in on what he'd learned of the brunette's quirk via their bond to even the playing field as much as he could, since she was aware of almost everything about the explosive boy's.

Before they made it out the tunnel, though, Ochako made something clear to her opponent.

"I'm still not completely over how you bullied Izuku-kun. I intend to deal with a bit of pent-up anger here, so no hard feelings when I've blown you away, okay?" the girl of the void spoke, reaching her hand out.

Her opponent grasped it, giving it a firm shake. "I'd be more irritated if you weren't bothered by that. If this can get rid of those stupid-ass feelings, wail away at me. I won't just sit there and take it, though. You already fucking knew that, though. Now, like Izuku before you, if you wish to avenge Deku, your fist, my jaw. If I win, though," and at this, the ash blond grinned ferally, "you have to tell the nerd how you _really_ feel. No pussyfooting around."

The girl with a literal grasp on physics frowned. "I wish I could. Fuck, I wish I could just grab 'im an' smooch his cute lil' freckles over n' over, but I _can't!_ There's too much at stake, and I might ruin it fer both of us if I do that!" she nearly shouted, as irritated as she was by the subject.

With a frown, Katsuki turned around, heading to the ring. "We'll figure that shit out later. Let's beat the fuck out of each other for now. That should help. Also," and at this, he turned around with a smirk, "they really are cute freckles. The two of you are going to be disgustingly fucking adorable together."

With a roar of frustration, Ochako chased the meddling maniac to the ring, much to the amusement of Katsuki and the audience.

"Uraraka-san, the match hasn't started yet. While I have nothing against two young, strapping kids tussling, you'll be disqualified if you catch him too soon," Midnight joked, though she pulled a bit at her sleeve to show that her threat was not idle, a minute amount of pink mist leaking from her outfit before she snapped the sleeve back into place.

With a roll of her eyes and a bark of laughter from the angriest friendly person in their class, Ochako and Katsuki made their way to their corners.

"In the first corner, from Class 1-A, the surprisingly OP as hell brunette! Don't let her adorable exterior fool you, or you'll find _you're_ the one who's out of this world! Give it up for Uraraka Ochako!"

The crowd cheered loudly, and Ochako pumped her fist in excitement, letting out a roar of enthusiasm.

"And in the other corner, also hailing from 1-A! He's a one-man armory, and it's all grenades! Credited with the making of 1-A's new slogan, his friendship is inevitable! Let's make some noise for Bakugou Katsuki!"

Again the crowd cheered loudly, but louder still was the combined warscream and pair of explosions from the boy himself, getting into it and helping amp up the crowd further.

_"Izuku. When you get your nerdy ass back, grab The Thing from Auntie and bring it over to our section,"_ Katsuki instructed. He didn't get a response other than the feeling of compliance and encouragement, but that was enough for him.

"Uraraka Ochako, are you ready?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Bakugou Katsuki, are you ready?"

**"I'M GONNA FUCKING EXPLODE! LEMME LOOSE, SENSEI!"**

With a smirk, the thumbs up was given.

"READYYY? CLASH!"

Instantly, Ochako tapped her side, then charged at her opponent. Katsuki was a bit surprised, expecting her to try some stupid tactical crap, but was more than ready to retort, blasting her with as powerful an explosion he could use without it being horribly dangerous. It wouldn't do for her to lose an arm or anything like that, but he wasn't going to hold back anymore than necessary, knowing how powerful his opponent was.

To his surprise, she only skidded back a meter. He'd expected her to be a lot closer to the edge of the arena after that blast, but no such luck. She brushed herself off with a smirk. "My granny hits harder than that. Try a bit harder, Bakugou-san," she taunted, refraining from telling him about said grandmother's quirk. People typically didn't remain standing after taking a punch from Mass Maestro, after all.

With a grin and a roar, Katsuki flew at the floaty child. "You made yourself heavier with your quirk?! FUCK YEAH, THAT'S THE GOOD STUFF!" he screamed as he blasted her from his position in midair, putting enough oomph behind it to knock some rubble loose, and sending her flying out of bounds. Before she could hit the ground, though, she twisted her hand, and she was falling up instead of down. In seconds, she dropped down lightly less than a meter away from her opponent, reaching her palm out to him. In his panic, Katsuki let out a big, loud blast, which covered the ring in dust and smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the brunette was nowhere to be seen. Katsuki kept his ears open, eyeing each piece of rubble as if it had personally insulted his father. The man had a fragile ego, damnit! He did not have to wait long.

"Ougi: Meteor Mash!"

With a punch that was probably going to bruise her knuckles, Ochako smashed through her cover, sending pieces of it flying, then falling back down at high speeds, thus creating even more rubble, and forcing Katsuki on the defensive.

"Hey! Quit toying with her, you punk!"

Katsuki and Ochako did their damndest to ignore the peanut gallery, both stopping for a fraction of a second to roll their eyes in annoyance. A few voiced their agreement with the moron, but the two of them soldiered on, engaging in a spectacular melee while they waited for damage control they already knew was coming, agreeing not to finish one another until this had been dealt with. Damage control did not take long. After all, Midoriya Izuku was very protective of his friends.

The heckler was surprised when the freckled boy descended from above, glowing bright green, his eyes a bit red. _"Okay, I'm ending this train of thought right now. I don't know what your quirks are, but my friends in the arena both have incredibly lethal quirks, and both worked really hard to get to this school regardless. Kacchan's quirk is more obvious. After all, explosions have killed literally millions of humans in the history of our species, but Ochako-chan's quirk is nothing to sneeze at, either! Most pros here have no defense against gravity suddenly deciding to change on a whim, and all she needs is to touch somebody with all five fingers! Kacchan's not letting her get close because he KNOWS that it's over if she touches him! Now sit down, shut up, and let my friends show you what they're made of!"_ the green bean erupted, telepathically shutting down all the naysayers in the crowd at once before going to sit with his mom for a moment to cool down and grab The Thing.

With a grin, the two combatants leaped apart, not wanting to end the match prematurely by taking advantage of their impromptu agreement to let Izuku handle the hecklers. "You've got a nasty right hook, Round Face. Izuku's one lucky fucker to have attracted your attention!" the emitter of nitroglycerin cackled.

"Can we _not_ talk about that on live television, Bakugou-san?!" the grasper of gravitational forces complained with a huff and a stomp. "You're making me regret even less and less how badly I'm gonna beat you!"

"Show me, then! Show me the power that forged that bond you share with Izuku! I'll beat the shit out of that power, and then you'll have to pay up! Don't forget our wager, Round Face!" the angriest of pomeranians erupted, popping sparklers from his palms as he taunted her.

Something inside Ochako snapped. _'I can't handle this. These feelings...We can't handle something like this getting in the way…'_ she thought to herself, unknowingly confusing her partner when he heard the thoughts, the boy having his own issues about their relationship. "Fine. You want to see my power, Bakugou-san? Be careful what you wish for."

Unbeknownst to Katsuki, since he'd only been given the info on his opponent's quirk gained from the incident where Ochako and Izuku's memories had been shared, the brunette had been setting up his defeat for a bit now. Of course he knew she'd been working on developing her quirk, but he had no idea that the extra few seconds she'd been hiding behind that one bit of rubble had allowed her to apply a very specific aura to it. When it had been smashed, and rained bits and pieces down on the field hard enough to knock more bits of debris loose, the debris closest to the points of impact had also come under the effects of her quirk. With a twist of the hand that had affected the gravity of the rubble, chunks of debris from all around began falling upwards. A pink aura surrounded one of the larger pieces of the arena, which the gravity-manipulator had applied her telekinetic power on. She leaped onto it, standing upside down as she glared down at her opponent.

"Ougi: The Sky is Falling!"

With a twist of her hand, she reversed the gravity of the objects sent skyward, making them fall back to earth, then increased the weight of each of those objects, holding in the nausea from using the telekinetic aspect of her quirk as much as she could. Izuku, ever helpful, erected barriers above the audience and the surrounding area, though he left the inside of the stadium bereft of them for obvious reasons.

As he gazed up at the rapidly descending chunks of arena and earth in awe, Katsuki could whisper just one thing in response. "Fucking badass."

He put his all into delaying the inevitable, firing off blast after blast at the manmade meteor shower, and managing to successfully repel the attack. It came at a price, however. As he fired off his quirk over and over, his opponent had landed nearby, and after increasing her weight and pushing through the shockwaves of his blasts, slapped him. It was nice of her to let him finish off the rubble and show off how long he could keep going, but the fight was won in that one move.

Upon finishing, Katsuki grinned at his foe. "That was a great fucking fight. Not gonna just sit back and let you beat me, but I think we both know how this is gonna end. Now HIT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, ROUND FACE!" he roared as he blasted off and flew at her as fast as he could.

Hiding her unease behind a smirk, Ochako met her opponent halfway, punching him in the face with one hand while she twisted the other, sending him careening away from the arena before he started putting more oomph into his propulsion, essentially ascending sideways to get back in the ring.

"Ougi: Up is Down, and Down is Over There!"

With several twists of her hand, constantly changing the direction gravity was pulling her foe while also holding onto him enough to prevent him from flying into space, Ochako succeeded in forcing her enemy to the earth, where he was rung out.

"Bakugou Katsuki is out of bounds! The victor is Uraraka Ochako!" the maker of dreams announced from her spot by the ring with a flourish of her hand, just as Ochako bolted from view before the crowd could see what was about to happen. With a roll of his eyes and a smile, her bonded partner glowed blue and sped down to be with her.

Izuku found his other best friend over by a waste bin, retching her guts out. He gently rubbed her back, not wanting her to suffer more than necessary. When the brunette finished emptying her guts, the two of them went to a water fountain where the girl got the taste of bile removed from her mouth as much as she could. _"I'll walk you back to 1-A's viewing section,"_ Izuku said, hoping to spend some time with his friend before they were amongst their other friends again. Ochako simply nodded, and the two of them walked together. The sound of rapid explosions going from the arena to their destination informed them of Katsuki's method of returning to their class.

The two walked in silence for the most part, neither of them really looking at the other, but feeling awkward regardless. Eventually, Ochako broke the silence, pointing out the folded banner that Izuku was carrying telepathically. "So, I see you have The Thing," she said mirthfully, calling it what their mutual friends in-the-know had decided to call it.

The red-shoed verdette nodded. "It'll be a bit embarrassing when Kacchan starts waving it around, but I think it'll help. We all made it with feelings of hope and love in our hearts, and if it can help reach Shoto, that would be more than worth the embarrassment. He needs us, and we won't just leave him alone when he's right there with us every day," he said with a bit of a blush, really hoping they could add the hot and cold boy to their group soon.

"You're really sweet, Izuku-kun," the brunette said with a grin, a blush adorning her cheeks. The Thing had been Katsuki's idea, but the idea to have everybody in the class contribute to it by writing portions of the message and adding their names to it was Izuku's idea. It made the butterflies in her belly flutter even more than usual. It's probably even part of the reason this next exchange happened.

"Can I...hold your hand, Izuku-kun? I promise I won't throw you twenty meters away this time," the brunette asked, hoping silently that this would be enough to help her deal with her stomach butterflies.

"Y-you mean platonically, o-of course," Izuku stammered from next to her, turning red as he turned his face away.

"Y-yeah! P-platonic as h-heck!"

"O-okay, then."

Refusing to look at one another out of nervousness, the two of them nevertheless managed to grasp each other's hands. Izuku's were calloused from the physical training he did prior to entering U.A. Ochako's finger pads, to Izuku's surprise, were actually noticeable even through touch. The two blushed heavily, trying their hardest to hide their hearts from one another in plain sight.

_'She's too good for a guy like me.'_

_'I can't get in his way. It's better like this.'_

Despite the sad thoughts haunting them, they enjoyed the feeling of the other's hand in theirs. Before long, though, they separated, and walked the rest of the way to their seats in silence.

Minutes Later

Izuku face palmed as his friends snickered at his current situation. Fumikage and Dark Shadow were kneeling before him, begging forgiveness for their failure to defeat Jedi Knight Yaomomo.

"The Force is simply too strong with her! We were blinded by her unique powers!"

"The flashbang that came out of her forehead when I got near her sure as hell didn't help, either!"

With a bit of a chuckle of his own, Darth Midori gestured for his apprentices to rise. "If one is to understand the great mystery, one must learn _all_ aspects of the Force, not just the great power of Darkness. You will learn from a colleague of mine, who wields the Light art of detonation. You will learn tolerance against the Light, or you will learn...other methods," the Dark Lord of Adorableness instructed the two of them, as Katsuki grinned ominously while sparking pop rocks from one hand.

Momo, having been nearby during the conversation, apologized once again, still unhappy with how utterly she defeated the duo. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" she asked.

Fumikage gaped for a moment, then groaned at what he knew was coming next. "Mario Kart. Play some Mario Kart with me, then we're even. I don't get to play nearly as much as I'd like, being tied to this guy here," Dark Shadow responded, pointing a thumb at his partner.

Everybody chuckled good-naturedly, and went back to watching the match, except for a certain pinkette, who never stopped watching to begin with, a grin on her face as she watched her horn buddy accidentally bro-fist his opponent again.


	13. Chapter 13

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirteen_

A/N: Thanks again to my readers and reviewers, and to my editors as well! You're all breathtaking! Do leave a review if you're enjoying the fic thus far!

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOTOOOOO!/Angry beyond reason speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thoughts.'_

'Sign language.' (Thanks to the reviewer who pointed out that my method of showing sign language wasn't showing up. I have altered all previous chapters to fix this error.)

Ten Minutes Later

Eijiro and Tetsutetsu were still going at it. The two simply had far more stamina and sturdiness than what's normal, but while Izuku was fascinated at watching their technique, and Mina was fascinated with watching her horn buddy beat the snot out of his opponent, their classmates and their plus one had gotten a bit bored. Izuku had pity on them and decided to play some music from his mental library telepathically to help them ease the boredom. At the moment, he was playing an unreleased track from Episode III of Star Wars, fittingly called The Boys Continue.

It happened in an instant. Suddenly, the boys couldn't continue, so Izuku cut the mental mood music. The two fighters collapsed from exhaustion at the exact same time, their fists pointed at one another even in unconsciousness.

"Kirishima Eijiro and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu are both unconscious! It's a draw, folks!" Kayama exclaimed, then continued, "After they get some rest, there will be a tie-breaker contest! Now, will our next contestants make their way to the arena?"

Izuku, having not gone to the prep room to be amongst his friends, smiled at the people who made his life whole. "Wish me luck, guys," he said nervously as he glowed green and floated down to the arena. He could feel the hopes of his classmates and his hopefully future classmate in his heart, along with the hopes of Endeavor, who wanted his son to do well despite it all. He gave the unconscious Eijiro a fist bump, making it known that he was really glad he fought so hard.

Shoto emerged from the tunnel, having gone to the prep room two minutes into Eijiro and Tetsutetsu's match. He gazed icilly at his opponent, though Izuku could tell there wasn't any spite behind it. He could only hope this remained true.

"Before we begin this, Todoroki-san, I have a request," Izuku stated nervously.

The half hot, half cold boy narrowed his gaze. "What do you want?"

Gulping audibly, the verdette stammered his response. "W-well, I really respect you, as a person and a classmate, so...I'm going to use both halves of my quirk in this match...It'll probably hurt, so...please reciprocate...I don't want your fire half to-"

"What did you say?!"

Izuku flinched noticeably. So much for this being a happy match.

Shoto snarled as he continued. "Did _he_ put you up to this? Was everything you said just talk? Am I a joke to you? Is my _conviction_ a joke to you?!" he raged under his breath.

Izuku teared up as he _felt_ the boy closing his heart off once more. "No...I didn't…" he stammered, only to be interrupted by a sudden chill in his heart.

"I'll enjoy taking you out here," the boy across from him said, frost coming off of his breath.

"Todoroki Shoto, are you ready?"

**"Yes."**

"Midoriya Izuku, are you ready?"

"I...I…"

Seconds Prior

Katsuki and Ochako both frowned. "He's terrified. I've never felt him so afraid except during the USJ incident. Izuku-kun's so scared he won't be able to help him," the brunette commented in a panic.

With a scowl and a growl, the emperor of detonative homicides barked a single command. "Office Max, Round Face, President Skroob! Hoist the motherfucking colors!"

Momo face palmed at her nickname before joining the other three in raising The Thing.

Back With Izuku

Before the empath could freak out anymore, he heard a voice ring out like a bell through all his self-doubt.

"IZUKU-KUN!"

He looked up and saw Ochako helping place The Thing. The Thing was a banner with the new class motto, along with everybody's names on it, and a space reserved for Shoto's name. His confidence returned tenfold, no, eighteenfold, for each of his classmates and Hitoshi as well, currently supporting him.

"Midoriya Izuku? Are you going to withdraw?"

"No! I'll fight!" the red-shoed boy exclaimed, his own conviction restored, with the banner of friendship behind him. "Todoroki-san! Friendship is inevitable! Resistance is impolite!" he roared, challenging his angry opponent to keep his distance from all these people who want to be his friend. Spoiler alert: He was gonna be Part of the Ship, Part of the Crew.

The thumbs up was raised.

"READYYY? CLASH!"

Izuku was grateful for his ability to read into his opponents' tactics, because otherwise he would have become a popsicle instantly, even with his mind-reading ability. His entire half of the field was covered with ice, a glacier towering over the field, encasing him entirely. However, there was something else encasing him as well.

A green glow shined from within the ice, cube-shaped from what onlookers could tell. It compressed until it formed around the boy, and a word was heard in the minds and hearts of everybody nearby.

**"SMASH!"**

With a cacophonous crashing sound, the glacier was shattered, and Izuku emerged with his foot extended. A bright green outline surrounded his body as he set his foot down lightly, wincing slightly when it touched the ground.

_'Doctor Chiyo was right. I can only handle one attack per limb if I'm actually hitting something solid. If I kick like that with that leg again, I won't be walking for a while!'_ the verdette monologued internally, recalling something Recovery Girl said the evening before.

Lifting off of the ground, he flew at his opponent, his aura giving off that unearthly sound it makes when he moves at speed. Dodging another blast of ice, he reared his arm back, and…

SMACK!

He slapped the boy to the ground, not using One for All at all. Now, Shoto was glowing green as well. Izuku glowered down at his opponent. "Your father's wrong. However, you're _also_ wrong. I already told you. I'm fighting like this because I respect you. I want you to fight me the same, because some day, you will need your fire, and if you haven't trained it at all, you will _die._ Do you have any idea how many people would be sad at your death?" he scolded the heterochromatic teen.

Shoto looked up at the freckled teen hovering over him with wide eyes, before finding himself righted back onto his feet as his opponent floated back and then to the side, near to where he started. _"Let's try this again, okay? Come at me for real. Not for your dad, or your mom, or your siblings, or me. I want you to fight me with everything you are for _your_ sake,"_ the verdette said, then extended an arm and Smashed the glacier next to him before standing back where he started. If the shaky leg had told Shoto a story, the bit of bruising already showing up on Izuku's arm told him an entire saga.

_"You...meant it would hurt _you_ when you used the other half of your quirk? You weren't talking down to me?"_ Shoto asked, flabbergasted.

The Dark Lord of Smiles nodded somberly. _"I'm not about to use this on a person. Your ice, though, I will smash until I break my limbs. Now please, come at me for real this time."_

_"I CAN'T! I'M SCARED! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE HIM!"_ the half and half boy screamed, suddenly afraid out of his mind. Before Izuku could intervene, though…

**"SHOOOOOTOOOOOO!"**

The younger of the two Todorokis whirled around to see a completely unexpected sight. His father had bowed nearly flat against the concrete at the top of the stairs. His forehead was even touching the floor, his hands flat before him. "I was wrong, Shoto! I'm sorry!" the grown man roared, then raised his head to gaze at his son, tears streaming down his face. "You're already ten times the hero I will ever be! Please, win! SHOTO!"

With a growl, Shoto muttered angrily, "Why are you like this, Father?"

Unbeknownst to him, at that very instant, Enji had a single hope. _'Please, understand me Shoto!'_

Then, things got..._different._

Time seemed to freeze, though from what Izuku could tell, it was just that his mind, Shoto's, and Enji's connected in that moment, and thus this wasn't even happening in reality. There were even unmoving versions of themselves in the strange diorama, and the versions of themselves that were moving weren't even wearing the clothes they had been wearing.

Shoto found himself in a casual outfit he frequently wore during down time, gifted to him by his sister Fuyumi. Izuku was wearing his tee shirt shirt, and Endeavor was wearing…

"What is that outfit, Endeavor-san?" Izuku asked, his eyes wide with confusion.

"It should be obvious. It's an Endeavor pajama onesie. Why I'm wearing it, I've no idea, but I'm not displeased. It was a gift from my wife, after all, and it's quite comfortable to this very day," he responded with a huff. He had since risen from his bowing position, having noticed the sudden lack of noise around them and preparing to fight in case of a villain attack.

"Midoriya-san...what is this?" Shoto asked, so stunned he went full circle from panic to calm once more.

The verdette thought for a moment. "Well, in that moment, right before we found ourselves in this predicament, you wanted to know why your father is the way he is, and Endeavor-san wanted desperately to explain himself, so...I guess this is my quirk allowing for that to happen? I'll go sit on the other side of the ring and keep myself occupied with finding a way out of this. You two chat. Don't leave the ring, though, Todoroki-san. I don't know if that would consist of a ring out or not. Endeavor-san should come down, though, but stay out of the ring. Please, try to figure this out, while I work on figuring _this_ out," he suggested, and did what he said he'd do, moving to the opposite side of the ring and sitting down to think.

Endeavor didn't need to be told twice. He landed right outside the ring in seconds, locking eyes with his son. "Shoto. We...need to talk. I have some explaining to do," the man said, then took a seat, gazing up at his son with eyes that were still shedding tears.

Shoto rolled his eyes, but didn't leave his spot. "So, how do you intend to explain away all the pain you caused my siblings, my mother, and me? What could possibly justify the hurt you put us through?" he asked, deciding to rip the bandaid off.

Endeavor bowed his head in shame. "Nothing can justify what I did. I didn't want it to be this way, but so much was out of your mother's control and my own, that it didn't matter what we had intended. You see, I came to a conclusion shortly after I ascended to the number two position," he elaborated.

"All Might. He is the Symbol of Peace, and yet...He laughs like us. He hopes and dreams like us...He _bleeds_ like us. Shoto, he's getting _old._ He and I _both_ are. We won't be able to keep going for much longer. He's been starting to lag behind particularly badly in the last five years, and I'm no replacement for the Symbol. My quirk, it burns with power, but it burns out too quickly! I sought ice-wielder after ice-wielder, hoping to find somebody compatible with me, who I could get along with. Your mother...She understands the plight the world faces. She decided to marry me, to help _the world._ You have no _idea_ how happy I am that you take more after her than me, because she is incredible. We...aren't compatible, honestly, but we've tried so hard to make ourselves so. Even then, she still is one of the only people who has made me smile in the last two decades, and she is _the_ only person to make me laugh since I became a pro. Shoto, you may not believe a word I'm saying, but I love your mother. I love your siblings. I love _you,"_ the man explained, doing his best to explain how they ended up where they were. "Things seemed to be going okay, but an incident occurred. I pushed Touya too hard in his training, and he...We were never the same after that.

"Losing Touya broke something in all of us. I lashed out. Natsuo lashed out. Fuyumi became quiet and subdued. Your mother started having panic attacks, and you were only five years old, yet I felt like if I made you the next symbol, I could make all my mistakes worth it. I was _wrong,_ Shoto! I won't hold it against you if you never forgive me, but I want you to know that I was wrong and _I am so very sorry and I love you!"_

"Stop."

Enji raised his head to look at his son, who had tears rolling down his face. "You're so hurt. I don't know _how_ but I _feel_ how much this hurts you. You've been feeling this way this whole time? How do you _exist_ like this?" Shoto asked, tears rolling down his face.

Endeavor had only one answer. "The same way you do, Shoto. Your hurt is tremendous as well. It is a different kind of hurt, but it is not less than mine. You are strong to be able to go on like you do in spite of it. Keep being strong like your mother and I know you can. However…" At this, the elder Todoroki placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "Please visit your mother soon. She misses you dearly, and I'm sure it would make her day to see you again."

Shoto nodded, still sniffling, before he decided to change the topic a bit. "So...Mom got you that? It's incredibly gaudy," he commented.

Endeavor beamed. "That's exactly what I told her! Don't tell your friend I said this, but I'm pretty sure we're wearing these outfits because they're what we're most relaxed in. I know you wear that around the house when you're relaxing, and I actually sleep in this," the flame-bearded man whispered conspiratorially.

"Ahem."

Father and son looked up to see Izuku standing nearby. "I...might have fibbed about not knowing how to get out of here. I wanted the two of you to talk it out, and this wound up being a perfect opportunity, but I knew how to get out of this seconds after I realized what it was. I'm glad Endeavor-san got what he said off his chest, but maybe Todoroki-san can tell his side of the story later, when you have proper privacy? I'm going to get us back to the fight when you've gotten back to where your bodies are, so if there's anything you want to say before the fight ends, say it now," the verdette explained.

Shoto and Enji nodded. "I will simply say again that I love you, Shoto. That is the only truth I need to convey to you at this moment in time. Do you have any words for me?" the elder asked.

The younger nodded. "I...do not forgive you. I don't, but I will try to understand you better, and maybe one day, we can be a family again. Please, also tell Mother to expect me in the next few weeks. I do not want to upset her if I show up out of the blue," he said, teal and grey eyes meeting a pair of teal eyes.

Enji smiled warmly at his son. "I'll let her know after the match, Shoto. I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

The three of them made their way back to where they'd been before the mental conversation. Time began moving once more, and their bodies did so as well, with a fresh set of tears emerging from Shoto's eyes. He locked gazes with Izuku, even as his father cheered him on from where he'd risen. "You wanted my all? Very well, Midoriya-san. Here I come, for real this time," Shoto said, his left side ablaze.

With a grin, Izuku floated up and added another layer of shielding to his body, even as Shoto flung fireballs at him. He dropped back down and left an intentional crack in the arena, then ran at his opponent who raised a wall of ice. "I think Kacchan had it right before! WALLS ONLY KEEP PEOPLE APART!"

Green became Blue.

With the crack of a sonic boom, Izuku shredded the wall of ice, flinging himself up into the sky to prevent himself from hitting the wall of the stadium. Expanding his blue aura, Izuku primed himself to fly at his newest friend, the boy prepping a dome of ice that was glowing bright orange from within.

"TODOROKIIIII!"

"MIDORIYAAAAAA!"

The two friends screamed each other's names as the dome exploded at the latter of the two, and their techniques clashed, resulting in a second explosion that had Katsuki cackling with glee. Shoto was deposited on the ground near the edge of the stadium, green aura slowing him as he fell, while Izuku went tumbling in the air for a moment before righting himself and floating back to the ring.

"Winner by ringout, Midoriya Izuku!"

As soon as he was sure he wouldn't be disqualified for touching part of the ground outside of the ring, Izuku sped over to Shoto, gently looking him over. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize how powerful that was going to be! Are you okay, Todoroki-san?"

"Blue."

"Huh?"

With a grin, Shoto elaborated. "Write my name on your banner in blue. It's my favorite color. Has been for years. It's a crazy coincidence, don't you think?"

Izuku giggled a little and gave the boy before him a thumbs up. "Yeah. We'll have to chat later. Don't forget to visit your mom, though. Your dad's anticipating her smile so excitedly I can't keep him out of my head," he said before moving aside for the medic bots.

One of the automatons approached him. "You're getting your arms and leg checked out. Doctor's orders. You can either float yourself or we'll get a stretcher. Doctor Shuzenji said we can get your mom if you don't comply," they said.

With a chuckle, Izuku complied. "Okay, I'm coming. Tell Doctor Chiyo I'll be right there," he said as he began floating over to the infirmary. En route, he was met by Ochako and Katsuki, the two with grins on their faces. "Shouldn't the two of you be watching Iida-kun's match?" Izuku asked with a confused look.

"Like it'll last long at all. Speed Racer's gonna wreck Fourtwenty. More importantly, Round Face here has something she wants to ask you about, and I wanted to see the fucking wholesomeness," the blond bombshell explained, then shoved the aforementioned girl into Izuku's personal space.

The two blushed a bit and stammered for a moment, before Ochako spoke up. "Um, so, something happened there, right? The two of you were upset for a moment, then the next second, you were both in a much better mood...Did you figure out some kind of super move or something?" the brunette asked shyly.

The freckled empath grinned. "Yeah. I'm not entirely sure what's necessary to make it happen, but Todoroki-san, Endeavor-san, and I were all in some kind of alternate reality in my head, and they talked out some problems they were having. I think I'm gonna call this super move Talk no Jutsu. Fitting, isn't it?" he explained.

The brunette nodded, then blushed a bit upon remembering a bit of trivia about the main character's eventual love interest from the series the technique name originated from. _'I almost forgot, I've got the same birthday as Hinata,'_ she thought to herself, before suddenly remembering something more important. "Izuku-kun! Your birthday's coming up in a few months! W-we need to think of something nice to do! You haven't had a proper birthday in so long!"

With a bit of a chuckle, Katsuki shoved Ochako against Izuku again, a bit more roughly than intended, before turning to walk away. "We'll figure that out later. We've got a couple months yet to set up a nice birthday bash for Green Naruto over here. It'll be a lot easier with our new badass friends. Now let's get fucking moving. Part of my Bakusquad's going up against part of the Zukusquad soon. Yes, I decided that title for your group myself. No, I'm not changing it. Fucking deal with it!" the human armory cackled as he made his way back to their seating area.

Izuku, however, found himself and Ochako in a bit of a predicament now, one that Katsuki would probably wish he hadn't turned away from later. His arms were wrapped around his first female friend in a hug, doing his best to support her, as she had a hand against the wall behind him, having placed it there when she'd been shoved. _'Did I just get kabedon-ed?'_ the broccoli boy wondered in a whirlwind of emotions.

"I-Izuku-kun, y-you can let go now," the brunette in his arms stammered, her own heart doing flips. Preventing her friend from sensing what was going through her mind was becoming more and more difficult by the second, and she wasn't ready for something like this! With a squeak of embarrassment from the greenette, she was released, and she waved at him with a smile as she ran off, doing her best to get her heart back under control.

_'I can't afford to mess her life up like that. Besides, there's no way she likes me like that.'_

The brunette paused for an instant, realizing that the thought she just heard was from Izuku. With a pained heart, she continued on her way to her seat. _'I wish I could tell him...It's wrong to leave him like this…'_ she thought to herself as she closed off her heart even further.

Their issues with love would be resolved sooner than they thought...


	14. Chapter 14

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Fourteen_

A/N: Thanks again to all my readers and reviewers, as well as my editors and friends! You're all the real MVPs!

"Normal Speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/Angry character/SHOOOOTOOOO! Speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking.'_

'Sign language.'

Several Minutes After The End Of Chapter Thirteen

Momo sighed in mild embarrassment. "I've grown reliant on a single tactic, and I've paid the price. I guess it's best that I learn that here than in real combat," the black-haired rich girl lamented as her former opponent slammed a bro-fist into Eijiro, the two friends looking to lock horns next round.

"Make sure you win that arm-wrestling competition, then deck Uraraka-chan in the schnozz!" Mina exclaimed, getting into it.

Eijiro frowned for an instant, then grinned to hide his nervousness. "Yeah. Hope my moms won't be too mad about how badly I blow her away!" Horn Buddy number two exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Tenya blinked. "You shout about manliness, but you have two moms? You confuse me more and more every day, Kirishima-kun. Good to hear you're getting into this, regardless of being nervous of how your family might view your fights. I, myself, am under a bit of stress on that front," the cyborg stated, discreetly checking his phone mid arm wave.

With a grin and a roll of his eyes, Eijiro responded, "Manliness is a state of mind, not a state of being. Ashido's the manliest person I've seen from my middle school, and she's a chick, too! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an arm wrestling match to win!"

With that, the manly boy hardened himself and dropped like a stone to the stadium below. He and Tetsutetsu squared off, having a brodown of sorts. The two of them hardened further than they already were, glaring at one another with growls of anger. The two of them ripped their own shirts off via their quirks and flexed. A few seconds of tense glaring later, and they smiled and shook hands, having successfully finished their brodown, before sitting down to start their arm wrestling match.

"AAAND WITH THE BRODOWN COMPLETE, WE CAN NOW START THE TIE BREAKER! READYYYY? CLASH!"

Eijiro grit his teeth. "So, what brings you to this fine arm wrestling match?" he asked his foe as the two applied pressure.

Tetsutetsu grinned as he, too, grit his teeth. "Representing 1-B! How about you?" the man of steel replied.

With a roar and a sudden burst of pressure, Eijiro nearly won in one shot. "I'M HERE TO FIGHT MY HORN BUDDY!"

The boy with the most iron in his body roared in approval. "FIGHTING ME TO GET TO THE MAIN COURSE?! THIS HORN BUDDY MUST BE AWESOME! Tell me about this specimen of badassery later!" he shouted, his body creaking with its movements as he held against his near loss.

"GET YOUR OWN HORN BUDDY! I SAW HER FIRST!" The most chivalrous of men exclaimed in a moment of possessiveness, bringing a bit of shame to his heart. He couldn't see it, with his focus on his opponent at the time, but his horn buddy's pink face turned a bit pinker upon his shout, even as he was declared the victor.

"Metapod number two, Kirishima Eijiro, has won!" Midnight exclaimed, joining in with the references.

Tetsutetsu went full metal, and with a roar of enthusiasm, headbutted the concrete table he and Eijiro had just finished arm wrestling on, shattering it. "WE'RE SPARRING LATER, GOT IT?" the iron man exclaimed.

The red man of chivalry nodded, before shouting up to the 1-A section. "HEY, ASHIDO! SORRY I GOT POSSESSIVE THERE! ARE WE GOOD?!"

From her spot in the audience, the acidic alien queen replied, "WE'RE GOOD! NOW KICK URARAKA-CHAN'S ASS SO I CAN KICK YOUR ASS!"

Eijiro nodded, then made his way to the ring. Up in the 1-A section, things were slightly less happy than they'd been before, though due to Izuku's valiant efforts to restrain his abilities, none of them really noticed the drop in mood, outside of five people.

Katsuki stewed in silence, lamenting whatever he'd done to fuck up, while Tsuyu and Tenya tentatively approached Izuku. The boy in question, however, dodged their attempt to find out what was wrong. "I'm gonna get a drink, okay guys?" he lied, running into the hallway behind their section before seeking an area where he could be alone.

Tsuyu and Tenya exchanged worried looks, before feeling a hand on each of their shoulders. The two of them looked up to see Mezo, one of his dupli-arms transformed into a frowning mouth. "Is Midoriya-san okay? He seemed to be distressed," the best Kakashi cosplayer in 1-A asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

Tsuyu put a finger up to her lip. "He and Ochako-chan seemed to be avoiding each other since they got back. I think something must have happened between them, kero," the blunt girl responded. Indeed, as soon as she got the opportunity, Ochako had headed to her waiting room.

Tenya looked to the two of them with a bit of worry. "What should we do? We can't just leave things as they are," he asked with furrowed brows.

With a nod of resolution, Mezo turned to face the ring below them. "For now, we should observe, and find out what actually happened. I will be keeping an eye on the match when it starts, both to gather info, and to allow Midoriya-san to watch later. He enjoys finding ways for us to improve, and I will gladly allow him access to my memories of the matches today to get more detailed perspectives," the octopus man said, changing five of his arms into ears, eyes, and a nose, and giving a thumbs up with his last hand before turning it into a smiling mouth, then back again.

Both the amphibious adolescent and the knight with a need for speed nodded solemnly, before turning their attention to the ring below, wondering why Ochako wasn't out there yet.

Minutes Earlier, With Ochako

The girl of the stars stood lost in thought, leaning against the wall next to the door to her ready room, trying to find out how the two of them were going to get out of this mess. Unbeknownst to her, he was heading right for her, his waiting room for the next round the same as the one she currently stood outside of. She turned upon sensing him near her, a bit of a smile on her face as she waved at him. "Sorry, Izuku-kun. I was just a bit nervous. Kirishima-san's pretty tough, after all. I'll get out of your way," she said, her voice quivering upon feeling Izuku's sadness suddenly come bearing down on her.

Izuku nodded, then moved for the door. "We're just in each other's way, aren't we?" he mumbled sadly before opening and shutting the door to the waiting area. Ochako felt an intense feeling of sadness for an instant before she felt...less.

Her eyes teared up, and she wept quietly for a moment before heading to her match, so much suddenly missing from her. _'What happened? Why do I feel so empty suddenly?'_ she thought to herself numbly as she walked on autopilot, eventually coming to a realization.

_'Oh...The Bond is gone…'_

The fact that it didn't have some sort of noticeable psychic backlash, simply vanishing without any obvious consequences, somehow made its disappearance all the more painful. No explosive flash of light, no intense headache, nothing. However, a ghost of his presence remained in her heart. She knew for certain that he was hurting too. Heroes save people. So, in the limited time she had, the puffy-cheeked girl hatched a plan. With a bit of spirit returning to her step, the binary star suddenly missing her partner made her way to the ring.

_'I have to make him understand.'_

"Kirishima Eijiro, are you ready?"

_'I have to get through to him.'_

"Hell yeah!"

_'I have to help him!'_

"Uraraka Ochako, are you ready?"

_'I HAVE TO WIN!'_

The stargazer stood resolutely. "Yes!"

The thumb of the somnambulist user was raised. "READYYY? CLASH!"

Eijiro hardened up, and rushed to Ochako's position. "Hope you're ready for a wallop, Uraraka-san!" he roared in challenge.

"I'm sorry, Kirishima-san. I can't lose here."

That's all the warning Eijiro got when Ochako grabbed his fist in her hand, her fingers and palm getting bloodied by his hardened fist. With a sad grin, the red head responded. He knew, somehow, what was at stake. "Do what you've gotta do. I'll get more chances."

The brunette's hand twisted, and the floor felt like it fell out from under the manliest of men. He fell to the side, then was dropped onto the grass.

"The winner by ring out is Uraraka Ochako!"

Ochako frowned a bit before heading back in the direction of the waiting room, intent on meeting Izuku halfway. As she was about to turn down a hallway, a figure in a hoodie grabbed her and shoved her against the wall. "What. Did. You. Do?" the figure asked, sounding incredibly stressed.

The brunette shivered involuntarily. "Let me go. I have to make this right. You're Aureck-san, right?" Ochako responded, pushing against the girl before her. _"Where are you, Izuku-kun?"_

The girl gazed at her with fury in her eyes. "He's hurting so much right now, he's not even the one in the driver's seat! He's...on auto-pilot!" the girl exclaimed, seeming to have issues with the words she was saying.

She wasn't wrong, it seemed. Izuku marched right past the two of them, not even sparing a glance their way. The enigma teared up a bit before looking her captive in the eyes again. "In a few seconds, I'm going to let you go. We're going to figure this out, but for now, you can't go after him. If you do, I will stop you. He's not in the mood right now," she stated. Soon after, she did as she said, and the two sat down. "Okay, Uraraka-san. Tell me what the fuck happened."

Several Minutes Prior, With Midnight and Cementoss

The two pros got a ping in their earpieces. The tone was for high priority communications on campus. Holding their hands up to their ears, they answered.

"Midnight, Cementoss, unless something goes wrong, behave normally. We're dealing with a Code Zeta. It should pass soon, but be ready just in case," the person on the other end of the line said. The two pros nodded, giving their affirmatives, before Midnight looked over in the direction Izuku would be coming from. And he did, in fact, emerge from the tunnel, however…

He looked incredibly unhappy to be there.

Tenya made his way to the ring from his tunnel, a smile on his face despite feeling slightly...empty. The speedster was standing before his friend in seconds, though noting the look on his face and just how _tired_ he seemed, the boy frowned. "Midoriya-kun, are you all right?" he asked.

The only response was a shake of his head, before he walked over to his side of the ring and sat down.

"Midoriya Izuku, are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Iida Tenya, are you ready?"

"W-wait, are you sure-"

"Iida. Tenya. Are you ready?" Midnight seemed surprised at her own words before composing herself. _'Where did that grouchiness come from?'_

The second son of Ingenium nodded. "Yes, I'm ready," he said.

Midnight raised her thumb.

"READYYY? CLASH!"

It wasn't even a fight, really. Tenya made to talk to his friend, but an enormous wall of green erected itself between them, before pushing towards him until it forced him out of bounds.

As startled as she was, Kayama still managed to call the match. "Th-the winner by ring out is Midoriya Izuku!"

Izuku floated up to sit on top of the commentator's box, dangling his legs over the edge. He felt a light pulling sensation from the direction of Inko. _"Sorry, Mother. Not now. Please don't strain your quirk like that,"_ he said, sounding very different from the voice Inko was used to hearing when she heard her baby boy use his telepathic abilities.

_"Please come see me soon! I never even got to-"_ the rest of her statement was cut off as the boy shut himself off from the outside world, focusing solely on the ring below, where Ochako and Mina got ready to square off.

"READYYY? CLASH!"

With a shriek of alarm, the acid-slinger was flung from the ring, before landing softly on the grass, being ringed out.

Ochako raised her fist towards the stranger wearing Izuku's face, bandaged up after her fight with Eijiro. The imposter could tell she was speaking out loud even from where he was, the determination so clear in her telepathy even he couldn't block her out.

_"I'm gonna win!"_


	15. Chapter 15

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Fifteen_

A/N: Thanks again to my editors, friends, readers, and reviewers! Here comes the finale of the Sports Festival Arc! I've actually been waiting for a _while_ to write this part! I hope each of you enjoys this chapter!

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/SHOOOOOOTOOOOO/AI/Explosively angry speech."**

_'Thinking.'_

_"Telepathic communication."_

'Sign language.'

Several Months In The Future

Izuku tucked a small, adorable, sweet child into bed. Eri had become an important part of everybody's lives by this point, all of Class 1-A, along with several others, helping her adoptive mother and father take care of the little albino unicorn. "Unca Zuku? Can you tell me about how you and Auntie Chako started d...da…"

"Dating?" the verdette supplied. The small creature of adorableness gave an excited nod, prompting the red-shoed hero-in-training to ask, "Didn't your mom or dad tell you that story yet?"

An adorable grumpy look crossed the tiny tot's face. "Mama said it wasn't her story to tell, and Papa was…"

"Papa was Papa?"

The potential second coming of Recovery Girl nodded. "Papa is silly," she said with a giggle.

Izuku nodded. "Yup. Your papa and mama are really silly, but that's just why we all love them!" he said with a grin, then added, "I'm gonna need Auntie Chako to come here and help, so she'll be here in a few minutes to tell her parts of the story. While we wait, how about I give you a head rub?"

The little girl nodded, and got a little head rub while they waited. The white-haired girl grabbed his hand, feeling it as it performed its task. "I like your hands. They're warm and kind," the girl said as she shut her eyes in contentment.

Izuku gave the kid a bashful grin. "Your hands are warm and kind, too. I know you'll do wonderful things with your hands someday. People will start saying how kind and gentle you are, and how brave, too! Now, Auntie Chako's outside, so I'm gonna let her in, okay?" he said, then got up and let his girlfriend in.

"You know you can just walk in, right?" Izuku reminded the brunette, a welcoming smile on his face.

Ochako blushed and gave him a glare that lacked any sort of malice. "Y'know it's really embarrassin' to do somethin' like that! Yah can't bring yerself to just walk into mah room either, after all, even with the invitation to do the same!" the gravity girl retorted, flustered.

After a bit of silent communication between the two, Izuku smiled and sat nearby, while Ochako sat before the girl in the bed. "This all happened before we properly knew your mama, and before we'd even heard of your papa, nearly a year ago now. It was the final round of the U.A. Sports Festival…"

Start Of The Final Round

The boy wearing Izuku's face looked down at the girl below, a bit of contempt for the girl stirring to the surface. _"You woke me up. The only reason I haven't seriously hurt anybody here is because it would upset Izuku, Inko, and Aureck,"_ he said to the one called Uraraka as he pushed off the commentator's box and slowly descended to the ring.

The brunette across from him scowled at the being wearing her crush's face. _"Who are you? What did you do to Izuku-kun?"_ she asked as the two of them gave Nemuri the okay to start the match as this was happening.

Even as the go ahead was given, the individual pulling the strings of Izuku's puppet body smirked. _"Well, since Aureck doesn't want me to tell you anything, and Inko feels a desperate need to show the two of you the letter she's nearly finished, I will simply throw the two of you both a bone and a curveball. I'm the one who _created_ Midoriya Izuku,"_ he said before conjuring up an enormous green shield wall, along with a few redundant ones behind it. _"You want Izuku? Come and get him, and I will return him to you. Prove to me that your determination to help him is stronger than my determination to stop you!"_

Ochako was about to leap up and run up the walls to the other side, but out of nowhere, she felt terrible. She sank to her knees, suddenly incredibly nervous and scared. _'W-what is this? Where did this fear come from? I'm suddenly so scared…'_ the brunette wondered to herself, the terror beginning to overcome her before she was suddenly given a glimpse of several memories.

_"We're in this together, after all."_

_"You can just use this bond to chat with me, if you're ever feeling lonely."_

_"Thank you, Uraraka-san."_

When she came out of the flashbacks, she felt...warm, like she was being hugged. Soon, she realized why. A green aura came off of her. _'Right, he leaves all of us with some of his green aura in case we need it. It activated on its own, though?'_ she wondered to herself before reaching out experimentally, creating a small wall of her own, and giving it a mental push, sending it crashing through all the walls not-Izuku had erected, the barriers shattering with little resistance. With a smug grin, she taunted her opponent. _"You should be more like Izuku-kun, and appreciate how powerful I am! Now…"_ At this, she reached out with her green aura and gripped not-Izuku with it. _"Give me my friend back!"_

The person in her grasp seemed defeated for a moment, before he smirked. _"You're strong, but there's more to Izuku's power than either of you know. You've seen Green and Blue, but neither of those are suited to combat the way Red is,"_ he said ominously before the green aura that had been grasping him suddenly was holding nothing, the boy having transformed into particles of red aura that slipped away, moving up into the air a bit before reforming into Izuku's body, now glowing with a bright red aura. He flew at the girl on the ground, a manic grin on his face that would look more fitting on a user of explosions.

Ochako only just barely put up a shield to prevent a flurry of blows from hitting her, before the boy suddenly vanished, afterimages of him flowing around to behind her, where a shield erected itself before she even realized he was flanking her. _'Izuku's still defending me, even when he's not in control? What is this?'_

_"Don't you see yet? His heart is responding! He feels that you're afraid, and so he protects you the only way he can, even when tucked deep in the recesses of his mind! He would move entire mountain ranges to protect the innocent, and for his friends, for the people who make his life worth living, he would be able to move the country itself! For you, though, he could move the very earth we stand on! He appreciates your power, yes, but he has yet to appreciate HIS!"_ the imposter roared as he continued zipping around the brunette, delivering powerful, swift blows that were always intercepted, regardless of Ochako's ability to sense where he was coming from.

The holder of Izuku's heart smirked, getting an idea. With a shove outward, the barrier the body-snatcher was currently wailing on pushed him back, taking him off balance. _"I'll be sure he does that in just a few minutes, you damned friend-snatcher!"_ she exclaimed as she broke through her own barrier, dropping it as she wrapped her arms around the boy before her.

The boy grinned. _"Gotcha. TALK NO JUTSU!"_ he exclaimed, and suddenly, Ochako found herself in some clothes she wears around her parents' apartment, while the boy before her…

Ochako was startled to see a younger, less healthy looking version of Izuku, wearing a hospital gown with a little duck pin on it. "Yeah, Izuku had a nice idea for a technique name, all things considered. He's a good guy. I'm glad he found somebody like you," the little boy said softly.

The brown-eyed girl blinked. "You're...not who I thought I'd be seeing...Are you some kind of alternate Izuku-kun?" she asked softly, hoping not to spook the little boy before her.

The tiny verdette shook his head. "Sorta, but honestly, I'm nobody important. I just sleep in the back of his head, to help if he needs it. You...made me a bit happy just now, though, so I'll give you a hint. I won't let you share it with him, but you guys like references, so I think you'll be able to figure it out for yourself. It's my duty to protect the little ones who come after. That's who I am to Izuku," the tiny tot said with a bit of a smirk on his face that should be more adorable than it was, the dark circles around his eyes belying the hurt he'd suffered.

The Protector, which is what she'd be calling him until she knew who and what he was, floated forwards and patted her on the shoulder, having levitated until he was at eye level with her. "Please, keep being there for Izuku and Aureck. Inko-san as well. And...tell Inko-san that if she wants to tell you who I am, I'm okay with that, but I'm more than a little upset when I remember what I was, so I won't be telling you guys myself anytime soon. Now, I've got to go. This body isn't mine anymore, after all," he said as he floated back to the body he'd hijacked, and Ochako floated back to hers. The world around them started moving again, and she felt the Bond reignite, filling her with an intense joy that spilled over to Izuku, who seemed a bit confused at where he was.

"U-Uraraka-san? W-what happened? The last thing I remember-"

"Look into my heart and mind, Izuku-kun. Please, look. I want you to know my feelings," she said happily as she held her Bonded partner closer.

And look he did. _"You...really? This isn't some elaborate prank?"_ he asked, knowing the answer despite his doubts.

She grinned. _"Really really! I really like you, Izuku-kun! I like like you! I only realized it a week ago! I was just scared to say it, but I can't pretend otherwise anymore!"_ she exclaimed before the two of them began glowing bright blue, the glow putting the very edges of the ring in shadow.

The binary stars, once more together, ascended to the sky, flitting about and just barely missing one another as they just let out their excitement. Again and again, they flew past each other, giving off the image of two super saiyans clashing if you only saw it with your eyes. _"I like you too, Uraraka-chan! I really do like like you!"_ the boy with the azure glow exclaimed.

Just then, it was like a dam was broken. The two of them now saw something...different. Ochako's eyes widened. _"Is this what you saw when you first awakened this power? It's...beautiful...The world is so full of good people!"_ she exclaimed in awe.

The freckled boy nodded. _"Yeah, but there's something different this time...Do you see it, too?"_ he asked, his grin even wider than before.

The brown-haired sometimes-heavyweight took another look before realizing something. _"There are...lines everywhere, like constellations on top of constellations...Are these...everybody's bonds?"_ she asked, then answered her own question when she looked at the object of her affections, and saw a bright, solid line between the two of them. Also connected to her, heading off in the distance, was a single line that she somehow just knew was actually two lines very close together. She frowned, a feeling of longing for home making itself known in her heart. _"I...I miss my ma and pa,"_ she said softly, remembering happy times with them.

Izuku didn't know _how_ he knew, but he knew he'd be able to take her home then and there, his mind suddenly just _knowing_ what these lines were for. _"Do you want to see them?"_ he asked, a grin on his face.

The brunette's eyes widened as the empath freely shared what he just realized. _"B-but our match! I mean, I wanna, but we shouldn't just be floatin' here like this, we're supposed ta be beatin' the tar outta each other!"_ Ochako explained, panicking a bit.

Izuku gave his partner of mutual pining a cheeky grin, before looking down at the ref. _"Midnight-sensei, we're going to Mie for a couple minutes. I'll be touching the ground first, so call the match in Uraraka-chan's favor! We'll be back real quick, so don't call a search party or anything!"_ he exclaimed, startling the envoy of dreams.

"WAIT, MIE?! THAT'S TWO BULLET TRAINS AWAY! WHY CAN'T YOU FINISH YOUR MATCH LIKE A NORMAL KID?!" the R-Rated Hero exclaimed, startling the audience a bit.

With a grin, Izuku waved, then pulled his opponent into a one-armed hug, and grasped the bond to shouts of joy and an explosion or two from their class's section. The two of them began transforming into particles of blue aura, and a line visible to the naked eye formed, linking their last location to their destination…

With Mina And Eijiro

The manly man and the alien queen stared in awe out the window of the infirmary the two of them were in, having decided to hang out alone for a bit. Invisible to the two of them, a bright, solid line connected the two, much like their hands at the moment.

With Shoto

The boy sat in the infirmary, one arm in a sling, the other holding his phone and going through his miniscule contacts. A banner sat folded in one of the chairs in the room, having been written on with blue marker recently. The boy gazed at a photo of his family before everything went wrong, unseen lines linking him to his family, and now to his new friends as well.

At The 1-A Section

The entire section was cheering with elation at the sight of the sweethearts everybody was shipping to some extent vanishing to head to Mie, enough of them knowing the prefecture Ochako called home that they had a good idea of why they were headed there.

Katsuki...found himself with a passenger. "Get me to that Hatsume girl! I wanna hit her with my sword!" his invisible hijacker exclaimed, pointing an unseen finger in the direction of the workshop.

"HAAAH?! Do I look like a fucking taxi to you? And what sword? You're unarmed, you fucking weirdo!" the bombastic blond roared.

"Do I look like I care? Don't answer that, nobody knows what I look like yet! Just get moving, my explosive steed!" Tooru exclaimed loudly, wrapping around Katsuki tighter.

Everybody laughed uproariously as the screaming duo took flight, invisible bonds connecting them all.

At A Hospital In Hoth

Tenya paced the waiting room, his mother weeping softly in her seat as his father gazed out the window with a bit of wonder on his stern face. The second son of Iida followed his father's eyes and saw the bright line of blue cutting across the sky, a sad smile on his face as he knew somehow what it was, the boy reaching out before pulling his hand back and shaking his head, doubts clouding his heart.

In A Small Apartment In Mie Prefecture

The Urarakas were startled, to say the least. They were watching their little girl and the boy she spoke so fondly of over the phone floating over the ring on the tv one second, then the next, there's a bright blue line headed off in the distance on their tv, that led to their living room, right next to them, where the two reformed before they'd even fully vanished on their screen, the two floating before the boy dropped to the floor, bowing to them.

"Uraraka Naoto-san, Uraraka Mizuki-san, I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I'd like to ask for your blessing to date your daughter!" he exclaimed, the position made even more awkward by him using his aura to prevent his outdoor shoe-clad feet from touching their floor.

"IZUKU-KUUUN!" Ochako screamed in shock and embarrassment as she covered her bright red face with both hands and started floating away via her own quirk as well as Izuku's blue aura.

Naoto turned to look at his giggling wife, who was pulling their daughter back down to the couch to sit between them, then to their aforementioned daughter, a smile on his face. "Does he make ya happy, Ochako-chan?" he asked, a tear forming in his eye.

The younger of the two Uraraka women nodded behind her hands. "More than anything, Pa. But what about lettin' the two of ya live the good life?" she asked, pulling her face out from behind her hands as she cancelled her quirk.

Mizuki gave her husband a knowing look, the man nodding with a smile as she turned to her daughter. "Ochako, sweety, we're yer parents! We ain't livin' the good life no matter what if yer sacrificin' yer own happiness fer ours! You date this sweet boy, and don't worry so much about us, all right?" the older brunette said, reminding her daughter of the reason parents raise their kids, for them to become happy and successful.

Crying just a bit, the gravity-wielder smiled. "Ma, Pa, thanks! W-we'll come visit soon, all right? We can have dinner an' everything!" she exclaimed.

Izuku got up, and bowed to his girlfriend's parents. "Th-thank you both! I'll treat your daughter with the care and respect she deserves! I'll bring her over to visit anytime you want, too!" he exclaimed with joy.

Naoto grinned at the boy, then turned to his daughter. "We _were_ gonna get on the bullet train an' visit, but since you two can just come by anytime now, how 'bout we have dinner tomorrow? If ya can bring his ma, too, that'd be even better. We'll pull out all the bells n' whistles!" he suggested, before his phone started ringing. Checking the caller ID, he saw it was the school. "Looks like they're lookin' fer ya. Y'all had better head back now. We'll talk more later. I've gotta take this," he said with a chuckle, before Ochako got a mischievous grin on her face and grabbed her boyfriend with one arm, and his bond to his mother with the other, the two vanishing once more.

Izuku and Inko were both startled when Ochako picked the woman up effortlessly and brought her to the center of the ring, then bowed before her, and asked, "Can I date yer son? I promise ta cherish 'im ferever!"

After a bit of sputtering, the woman grinned and gave Ochako her blessing, before Izuku shouted, "ON LIVE TV?! REALLY?!"

Plenty of people laughed at the incident, having ended happily and all. Kayama, upon getting confirmation from Izuku that he did, in fact, touch the ground outside the arena first, called the match in favor of Ochako. She would need to devise new ways to embarrass the couple, since she didn't want to corrupt the cinnamon bun too much.

Meanwhile, the Midoriyas just kept bawling with joyous tears, prompting further laughter from their friends and the audience, the two embracing one another in their happiness. Plans were made later on to visit the Urarakas for dinner.

Several Months Later, In Izuku's Room

Izuku and Ochako smiled at the entire class's adopted niece, having gotten tuckered out part way through the story, breathing softly as sleep gently embraced her. They'd have to tell her the parts she'd been asleep for later, but that'd be a good time as well, they were sure. Ochako grinned and hugged her boyfriend before the girl left, headed to her dorm room to get ready for bed, the smile never leaving her face as she recalled that day.


	16. Chapter 16

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Sixteen_

A/N: Thanks again to all of you! You really keep me going! Be safe and healthy!

Important PSA: Black Lives Matter. This is a fact, and it is non-negotiable.

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/Explosive rage/SHOOOOOTOOOO speech."**

_'Thinking.'_

_"Telepathic speech."_

'Sign language.'

The Next Day, Evening

After some testing, Izuku and Ochako found that they could, in fact, bring others with them between hyperlane jumps, as Izuku called them, the bonds themselves essentially being like FTL hyperlanes, though neither bothered figuring out if they actually travelled faster than light. It was also fortunate, they found, that they could bring objects with them, since Inko had shown a desire to cook a bit for the get together. Ochako and Izuku were both pacing with nervous excitement a room away from where the woman was cooking, the two having come to an agreement that they should share their thoughts and feelings a bit more freely through the bond than they had been.

Inko had behaved in a subdued manner when they asked her about the Protector, as Ochako had dubbed him. His existence within Izuku's subconscious had her giving off mixed signals, seeming simultaneously hopeful and sad. Ochako had seemingly figured out what he was to Izuku, though her attempts to relay the information were met with strange, if comical, interference. She tried to tell him verbally, but her words were misheard every time, occasionally being replaced with things said by completely different people to Izuku's ears. It was more than a little hilarious when she spoke and Katsuki's voice came out saying something nonsensical, and when she tried signing the information to him, or writing it down, well…

He'd known instantly that the Protector's interference was in play when her sign language was replaced entirely with middle fingers, her hands appearing stuck in that shape no matter how they moved, and when she tried writing it out, all he could read was, "Haha, nice try!"

They tried to convince Inko to tell them, since he'd said he'd allow her to tell but she'd shake her head in exasperation and said, "Tomorrow. I'll give you the letter tomorrow."

Izuku sighed in mild frustration, stopping his pacing to check the items they were bringing with them a fourth time. His mental passenger seemed to be feeling a bit better than he had been when he'd first awakened, at least, even though he couldn't stop feeling upset at various things. At least they'd be heading off to have fun very soon. He couldn't wait to properly meet Ochako's parents, his girlfriend having been over the moon upon discovering they'd be able to bring Inko with them.

The verdette blushed enough that it reached his neck at the thought. Ochako was his girlfriend. The idea of him finding somebody so wonderful and willing to date him just seemed so unreal, and yet…

Katsuki literally punched himself in the face hard enough to make himself bleed upon realizing he'd crushed Izuku's self confidence enough that he thought himself undeserving of romantic love. The blond had asked Eijiro to punch him instead, but the red wall had decided that would be a bad idea. When Izuku heard he'd done this, he hugged his childhood friend. "Don't hurt yourself like that again, Kacchan," he said through tears. The explosive teen hugged his friend back, crying just a bit as well, before he shoved him and flicked his forehead, then congratulated him on getting a girlfriend.

A pair of round, pink cheeks, and the rest of Ochako's face, popped up in front of him, the girl a bit concerned at her boyfriend. "You still in there, Izuku-kun? Felt like you were lost in your head for a second there," the brunette asked, waving a hand in front of his face that he playfully swatted away.

With a grin, the freckled empath shared the last bit of mental shenanigans with his friend, the girl blushing herself when reminded that _this was real._ The two of them had pushed past the bit of cloudiness that had separated them from admitting to their feelings for each other. Izuku's unique power was definitely a huge factor in their closeness, though the two of them were certain that even without it, the two of them would have eventually ended up like this, had they met in such a different timeline. Maybe there was a timeline where Izuku only had One for All, and the two of them started dating two or three years into their time at U.A.?

Reading his heart, Ochako grasped his hand in hers. He still enjoyed the fact that her fingerpads were palpable. It made holding hands with her even more special than it already was.

"Nothin' platonic about this, Izuku-kun," the girl said with a grin.

The verdette blushed cutely, and responded, "Y-yeah. I know. Th-thanks again," he stammered as he locked eyes with her, making the brunette blush a bit as well, looking away a bit as she rubbed the back of her head with her free hand.

The two were interrupted by the click and flash of a camera, Inko having entered with her phone and taking a picture of the two of them. "Aaaaand sending! Your parents will love this picture, I bet!" Inko exclaimed happily, before putting her phone away and saying, "The katsudon is done now. I just need to get it into a container, and we can leave. Get yourself ready, Izuku! We can't make a good impression if we can't get there, after all!"

Izuku nodded, thinking happy thoughts and getting his blue aura generated. The three of them placed their shoes on, and called the Urarakas to tell them to come outside as they ascended into the sky. "Supermove: Hyperlane Jump!" Izuku shouted with glee as the three of them and what little they were bringing was changed into particles of blue aura that reappeared outside of an apartment in Mie prefecture, the blue line of light ignored for now, seeing as it would vanish in less than a minute.

Aaand with the meeting came the greeting. "Uraraka Mizuki. I thought somebody with your reputation would be a little bit...older," Inko quipped playfully.

"General Inko...Yer shorter n' I expected," Mizuki replied with a grin.

Inko tried her hardest to respond properly, but the laughter bubbling up from within prevented it somewhat. "Jedi scum!" she got out before the group all started laughing uproariously, then silently thanked the vigilante from the beginning of the era of quirks whose actions had the unintentional effect of preserving the internet of that time for generations.

Lady Love sneezed at home as she graded papers, being a descendant of that vigilante. Let it be known that many consider Aiba Mahiru a hero in the moral sense, regardless of the legality of her actions, and she did save the lives of many with her powers.

The Uraraka couple welcomed Izuku and Inko inside, Ochako having already let herself in, excited as she was. The two families chattered mindlessly, simply enjoying each other's company.

"Ochako tells me yer son was thought ta be quirkless, is that right?" Naoto asked, the subject having not come up in conversation before. Inko nodded, a bit nervous at the direction the conversation was going despite the grin on the man's face. "I'm quirkless myself, so I know some of what he must've gone through. I can recommend y'all to my therapist. He can prolly help yer son with some things he's been through, since he specializes in that field an' stuff," the man said, before pulling out his wallet and handing Inko a card. "Hopefully he won't need it, but just in case."

Inko smiled and accepted the card with a thank you, before looking down the hall where Ochako and Izuku had disappeared to. The two had gone to her room, where Ochako was pulling out an old gaming system and setting it up, the two of them having spent several evenings at his home taking each other on in various games. Izuku laughed at the controller for the Nintendo 64 replica, the object looking incredibly ridiculous. "Someday alien paleontologists will find these things, and they're gonna be so confused!" the boy laughed, the girl of his dreams snickering as well.

The grownups smiled fondly as their kids enjoyed themselves, before they went to the living room to talk about grownup things, leaving the young couple to enjoy themselves.

About Half An Hour Later

The two families were eating now, enjoying a bit of smalltalk as they sat at the dinner table. Naoto grinned at Izuku, a question on his mind. "So, when my lil' girl saved ya in the entrance exam, what exactly was on yer mind? How badass she is? How pretty? How nice?" he teased.

With a bit of a laugh, Izuku set his utensils down. "Thinking back, I'd never been so happy to be thrown so hard. She did that to remove me from danger, so there was no way I wasn't gonna come flying back to help her! Your daughter's gonna be one helluva hero someday, sir! If you were to ask me, though, she already is," he responded, his smile turning fond as he looked down bashfully. "I'm...very glad _she's_ the person my quirk bonded with. I don't know how that aspect of my quirk works, exactly, but being able to talk to her, and being able to be there for her when she needs somebody to talk to, it really helps. Our relationship might not have come about normally, but I'm really glad Uraraka-chan thinks I'm worth dating."

His words were so precious, Naoto and Inko both started crying, as Mizuki and Ochako laughed up a storm. "Ochako, sweety, this boy's too precious! I can't handle talkin' to him!" Naoto exclaimed as he wept, Inko handing Mizuki a tissue to give her husband as she wiped her tears with one of her own.

Mizuki simply laughed and dabbed at her husband's tears herself, not bothering to give him the tissue, before she kissed the man on the cheek. "Looks like Ochako takes more after me, then. She likes 'er boy to be an emotional mess!" the woman teased, leaning over to pat her daughter's head. "I think I know who's gonna be wearin' the pants in this relationship!" she said with a grin. This caused another uproar of tears and laughter from the two families, as Izuku turned to look at a photograph he somehow knew was on the wall nearby.

It was a photo of Ochako and her parents, sitting on a picnic blanket late at night with some food, a portable heater, and a telescope he knew was kept in a closet down the hall. The night sky was filled with bright, beautiful stars, the rest of the milky way clearly visible. It was Ochako's grandfather, who had passed a few years ago, who'd taken the photo. The image, and the joy and longing it put in his heart, inspired him, the boy taking the thoughts he just had and locking them away from where Ochako was permitted in his mind. It wouldn't do for her to learn of the surprise he'd just thought up ahead of time, after all. He grinned at his girlfriend and winked, the girl getting a confused look on her face before she just laughed, thinking his smug look needed a bit of work, being as silly as it was.

Soon enough, though, it was time for the Mustafar trio to head back. Before they could leave, though, Mizuki stopped them, then ran down the hall and returned with a well-kept box, which held something precious. "Ochako, sweetie, this boy's gonna take you out somewhere nice eventually. I seen that look in his eyes, he's already thinking up a first date. If it's somewhere you can wear somethin' nice, wear this, all right? I made sure last night it's still in good condition, so please take care of it," the older Uraraka said to the younger, the smaller brunette getting starry-eyed before she accepted the box, holding onto it carefully.

Inko giggled, joy filling her heart. "I'll keep an eye out for a nice suit for Izuku. He's definitely outgrown his old one by now. Please let us know anytime you want Ochako-san brought over! We'll be sure to keep in touch regardless!" the stout woman said giddily.

After Ochako got hugs from both her parents and Izuku got a short warning to stay safe with their daughter (Damn hormonal teenagers!), the trio vanished in a flash of cobalt, headed to the Bakugou residence via hyperlane jump. After a bit of socializing with the Bakugous, in which Katsuki took several pictures of the new couple, maniacal laughter exploding from his mouth as he sent the pics to all their friends, Inko headed home, while Izuku walked Ochako to her apartment. The two spent the trip in comfortable silence, hands held the entire way.

A Little Past Midnight, At Mei's Workshop

Mei Hatsume awoke to an alarm set in the Sazabi armor she gifted Aureck. The armor itself was empty and docked, but Aureck herself was there, a tall glass of cold brew in her outstretched hand. The mad engineer downed the delightful coffee elixir of awakening in short order, before turning to her friend. "So, [Redacted], how's this afternoon for visiting Midoriya-chan?" she asked.

The girl blushed, pulling her hoodie closer to her mouth. "I'm still nervous. Also, did you have to call me [Redacted]? You know there are people who patrol here at night, Meimei. I'm still…"

Mei placed a gloved hand on her friend's shoulder and pulled the shorter girl into a hug. "You shouldn't be scared, though. You know what Midoriya-chan said was true. There are scary people in this world, yes, but they're so outnumbered by good people that it's not even funny. You have a right to be free of your past, but you won't get there if you stay in this cage you put around your heart. Please, just go there normally. You can hide your features if you want, but please be visible to them. If you can't do it for yourself, can you do it for me?" the tentacle-haired girl requested softly, unusually gentle.

Aureck frowned for a second, before looking at a panel on the wall that led to where Mei's more 'secret' babies were being developed. She made a decision. "You're right. I'll hide my features, but I'll actually be there, and they'll see me. And Meimei?" she asked, as the reticule-eyed girl locked onto her eyes, the bags beneath them from sleepless nights not bothering the mad engineer in the least. "I've decided what I want my hero suit to be based off of. It's scary-looking, but I'm a bit scary too. The woman who piloted it, though, she was a beautiful person, and so am I. I want Kshatriya. My Hero Name will be Marida."

The mech builder grinned. "I'll have to make several adjustments, since it's not human-shaped enough, but I'll get it built in the next day or so. I've got enough green aura particles to make it unbreakable, too. I'll just need some red particles from you, and it'll be yours. Now, I've gotta get busy! So many projects, so little time!"

The ghost of U.A. smiled at her childish friend, rolling her eyes as she went back to patrolling the grounds.

At Eleven That Day, At The Midoriya Residence

Izuku blinked in confusion. This was not how he'd thought this Sunday was going to go. Mei and Aureck had essentially kidnapped Ochako, and dragged her to his house, where they let themselves in, and his mother kinda just _let_ them. The brunette _had_ intended to show up, just not until later, but Mei works in mysterious ways. At least Aureck seemed uncomfortable about it as well, judging by her posture. Speaking of Aureck…

"Um, what are you-"

"It's cosplay. Meimei made me wear it. I'm Char Aznable from the show we're gonna watch, except for the mask over my mouth and nose, as well as the backpack," the girl said, and while he couldn't see it, he got the feeling the girl was blushing up a storm.

"And the backpack-"

"Doesn't come off. Not in front of you or Uraraka-san, at least," the girl, no, woman, said. He had to remind himself that this person was around twice his and Ochako's age.

Mei laughed, the mad genius patting her friend's shoulder. "It was either this or looking like a mannequin. Bet that was freaky for Uraraka-chan, huh?" she laughed, referencing the brunette's encounter with Aureck on the day of the sports festival.

The brunette in question rolled her eyes. "Not as freaky as waking up to a cosplayer and a maniac in my house, eating my mochi, _in my room!"_ Ochako snarked accusingly.

The maniac from the above statement waved the accusation off. "Pfft. Details. Aureck-chan, DO THE THING!"

The two of them could feel the eye roll, even if they couldn't see it from behind the cosplay mask. "One viewing of the Universal Century timeline prior to the events of Gundam Unicorn, coming right up. Be glad we brought tissues," the masked girl said as she reached her hands out and grabbed Izuku and Ochako by the shoulders. They were shown exactly what the masked woman said, and in seconds were on the floor bawling their eyes out.

"I thought it was just a regular mecha show! I WAS WROOOOONG!" Izuku wailed as he and Ochako gradually pulled themselves back together, accepting the tissues offered by Aureck while Mei set up a small entertainment system that folded out of the pinkette's backpack in the living room, making them wonder what was in Aureck's backpack…

Before they knew it, everything was set up. Inko sat nearby, tears of joy running down her face as she remarked about how her baby was finally having multiple friends over at once. Drinks and snacks had been obtained, and so, they started watching Gundam Unicorn RE:0096…

A Few Hours Later

Izuku and Ochako had been a bit hesitant, considering how they'd basically been forced into knowing about the series, but the two of them found themselves enjoying themselves. At one point, Mei had had the two of them sit while Aureck got behind them and took her masks off, and she took a photo. "Gonna be a bit before I can show this to you guys, but Aureck-chan is probably gonna make this her phone background," the mad engineer had said as she sent the image, and Aureck's phone pinged with the message. Needless to say, the two masks found their way back onto her face quickly.

It was halfway through episode six when Izuku noticed Aureck getting a bit fidgety. In an attempt to calm her down, the greenette made a bit of smalltalk. "You know, that Marida Cruz character kinda makes me think of you," he said, and mostly ignored the sudden burst of laughter from the crazy engineer sitting nearby. "She seems a bit sad, but she cares about the people she's close to. She's also really strong, and that's the feeling I get from you."

"Stop that. You're supposed to say nice things like that to your girlfriend, and she's right next to you," the enigma said with a hiccup that seemed to hide something else, then turned to the older Midoriya. "I'm sorry, I delayed my initial reason for coming here unacceptably long. It's getting a bit awkward, so can we have our chat now?" she asked, her voice wavering a bit.

Inko nodded, and the two made their way to her bedroom, hearing Izuku complaining quietly. "Does she think I _don't_ tell Uraraka-chan she's a badass all the time or something?"

Inko closed the door to her bedroom, and Aureck pulled off the masks and reached her hand out. "I should have introduced myself to you a long time ago now, but it's nice to meet you, Midoriya Inko. My name, the one I chose for myself, is [Redacted]. Thank you for being the parent Izuku-kun deserves, since we both know his male parent was a total asshole," the mysterious figure said, her hair flowing down from where it had been tucked beneath the helmet.

Inko smiled and took the hand, then pulled her in for a hug. "You know I would have adopted you if Doctor Chiyo hadn't gotten you first, right? He's not the same person as...him, but Izuku would have adored you as an older sister, and even now, you can come and go whenever. I'll even get you a key, and-"

"Thank you."

Inko's rambling was cut short by the tears and the simple words of gratitude from the girl in her arms. She hugged her just a bit tighter, and would have rubbed her back if not for the backpack that was still on, however, if what she knew of the girl was true, the backpack was just covering something else that would prevent proper comfort. As if sensing the thought, the girl pulled away. "Help me take this off. I'd do it myself, but Meimei made it in a hurry, so it's a two-person task," the girl said, turning her back to the elder Midoriya, who was more than a little stunned at the show of trust this girl was giving her.

Following her instructions, with a click and some whirring mechanical noises, the backpack came off, revealing the back of the girl's shirt, with a hole in it that revealed…

"I know. It's weird to look at. Izuku-kun's is easier to cover up, but since I'm...an older model, I'm a bit clunkier-" the girl said nervously, getting interrupted when the stout woman turned her around and looked her in the eyes.

"That doesn't define you. You are the person you make yourself, and you are beautiful. Don't ever let anybody tell you otherwise," Inko stated with finality. The girl, now feeling the age she appeared, wept into the older woman's arms.

"Mom, Meimei, and...They were right. I...I do need to connect to more people...But, Izuku-kun...I'm still afraid of how it will feel when he doesn't recognize me," she sobbed softly.

Inko smoothed the girl's hair as she held her. "When you're ready to cross that bridge, I'll help you do it. You know that even if he isn't the same as...him, he'd still love to be part of your family. You're already part of mine, even if we've never really interacted before. Just tell me when you're ready, and I'll set up a meeting, okay?"

The scared, crying child in her arms nodded. "Not today, though. Today's for you to let stuff off your chest. I'm...gonna let myself out, okay? I'll talk to you later," she said softly.

Inko nodded. "Say hello to your mother for me."

Aureck grinned wide at the other woman. "I will!" she exclaimed as she vanished from her perception, along with her masks and the backpack. The window opened, and after a few minutes, Inko shut it, certain that the girl had left by then.

A Little Over An Hour Later

As the credits of episode nine rolled, Izuku found himself crying just a little bit. With a laughter born of madness, the nuttiest person in the house shut down the entertainment system and began putting it away, the episode finished.

"Why would you end our watch session there?!" Ochako roared indignantly.

The reticule-eyed girl grinned at them. "My dragon doctor friend says cliffhangers are awesome! Who am I to argue with science?" she exclaimed, leaving her two friends confused at her explanation. "Besides, your mom has a letter she's been wanting to give you all day. I can't keep you away from that too much longer."

Izuku blinked in confusion. He'd forgotten about that. After the festivities had ended following the sports festival, his mother had spoken to him about a letter she'd been penning over the last few months, detailing the truth, whatever that meant. The mood turned a bit somber as he let Mei out, the girl heading back to her workshop.

Izuku walked into the living room and sat with his girlfriend, who grasped his hand in hers for comfort. The older of the two Midoriyas emerged from her study, having entered seconds after Mei started packing up, a folded sheet of paper in her hands. She sat down across from the two of them and handed it to her baby boy. "Please read it until the end, and remember that no matter how you came into this world, you are my hero and I love you," the portly woman said softly. Izuku nodded, wrapping his green aura around his mother to hug her as he unfolded the sheet of paper and started reading, giving Ochako access to his thoughts and vision.

_To my sweet son, Izuku._

_You were not born into this world the way most children are. I told you that I was raped and decided to carry you out of some sense of need, but those are lies. I am your biological mother, but I did not carry you, nor did I give birth to you._

_Your male parent was the supervillain Scalpel. At some point before you were born, I was drugged, and pieces of me were taken while I was unconscious. He healed me, and put me back in my home, and I had no idea any of it had happened. With what he took from me, he grew you in an artificial womb of some kind. All of your memories from before you were three are fabricated by the person you used to be. That boy was essentially your older brother, who I failed to convince to stay. Even now, he is in your mind somewhere, looking after us as he tries to distance himself from the world that hurt him._

_It's covered up pretty well, and you wouldn't be able to see it without clever use of mirrors, but on your back, there is a plug that scalpel used to have you interface with his equipment. Katsuki-san knocked it off once when you two were younger. I asked him not to tell you about it after the incident, so don't be mad at him for keeping it from you._

_One truth that can never be taken away, though, is that I love you and your brother so very much. If he ever wakes up, please tell him I've decided to name him Ao, for the joy your blue aura represents, and the happiness you and he both deserve._

_Please forgive me for keeping this from you, but I wanted so much for your childhood to be a happy, normal one, and that was robbed from us all by Scalpel. I love you, Izuku, and I love you, Ao. Never forget that._

_Signed,_

_Midoriya Inko_

Izuku wept as he leaped into his mother's arms, Ochako crying silently as she stood up to join them in the hug. "I love you, Mom. I love you," he said softly.

That is the truth. Love is the truth.


	17. Chapter 17

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Seventeen_

A/N: Thanks to all of you readers and reviewers, and thank you to my editors! Please continue running !

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/Bakuspeak/SHOOOOOTOOOOOO! speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking.'_

'Sign Language.'

Monday Morning, In 1-A's Classroom

Momo and Izuku were hard at work, having decided to make the classroom look a little extra nice for the new additions to the classroom that were coming today. Izuku had been aware of one of them, knowing for a few days now that Hitoshi would be taking Minoru's spot in their class, but the other addition was news to him, though he'd met her before.

"So, Midoriya-san, what can you tell me about this Aureck person? All I know is that she's the victim of a supervillain, and that while she's registered as a pro, her education, or lack thereof, has her at our level, due to odd circumstances surrounding how she was raised," the black-haired beauty asked, wanting to know more about their second new classmate.

The freckled teen frowned, thinking about it. "I'm not sure how much she'd be okay with me telling you. She's more than a little skittish, but she's clearly trying to get out of her shell, seeing as she's finally decided to get formal education. I have suspicions that she's related to me somehow, on my...sperm donor's side of the family, but she's clearly nervous about opening up even around me. She's actually been in the classroom before, while class was in session, but she has a very handy ability to erase her presence. I still don't know what she looks like really, other than that despite her age being around twice mine, she's even shorter than I am. Just be polite, but don't pry, like if you were hanging out with me or Todoroki-kun. She is more than capable of fleeing the room if she's freaked out, and the means to stop her from doing so humanely don't exist," he explained nervously.

Momo nodded. "I assume you mean she has something like you, that's like a quirk but not one?" the most intelligent student in 1-A asked. Izuku's silence told her all she needed to know on that front. "I won't say anything unless she does. Do be more careful about what you say when you're emotional, though. I've noticed you sometimes let things slip when you're talking about something or someone you care about. On that note, how are things with Uraraka-san?" the class president asked, giving Izuku a breather with the change of subject.

Izuku started glowing blue despite his efforts to retain his aura, causing his friend to laugh. "I guess that means it's going well, then?"

The verdette nodded with a silly grin on his face. "My mom and I went with her on Saturday to have dinner with her parents, and I got a nice idea for a first date with her. Then on Sunday we binge watched a show with Aureck-san and Hatsume-san. I haven't ever had more than one friend over my house before, so that was exciting," he babbled, then noticed something odd. "Iida-kun is normally here by now. Do you think everything's all right with him?"

The human encyclopedia smiled reassuringly at the nervous boy. "He's probably found someplace quiet to study while we get the room looking nice. Stretch out your senses and see if you can find him. I won't tell anybody about it, and you're not using it for nefarious reasons, so go ahead," Momo responded kindly.

Izuku nodded, and as he was wiping down a desk, he stretched out his senses, seeking his speedy, strict friend. He blinked away tears and nearly dropped the cleaning solution he was holding when he felt him near the entrance to the school. "Y-Yaoyorozu-san, I have to go for a minute. I'll be back soon."

The girl nodded, patting the boy's shoulder. "Let me know if it's something you need help for. That was powerful enough that I felt it, too," she said, then sent the boy on his way. The boy all but ran to where he sensed his friend, feeling the boy's grief so potent he began crying. It was fortunate that the school was mostly empty, because he was certain he had broken into a run once or twice. He turned the final corner to his friend's location.

"IIDA-KUN!"

The boy in question snapped his head up, having been staring at his indoor shoes for a minute or so when Izuku arrived. The verdette nearly bowled him over, giving the boy a hug as he cried openly, confusing the blunette. _'The media didn't find anything out yet. How does he...Oh,'_ the boy thought to himself, then decided to try and figure out what was going on. _"Midoriya-kun, were you looking into my heart, or is something bothering you personally?"_ he asked, just in case something happened that he wasn't aware of.

_"I'm sorry. Yaoyorozu-san and I noticed you were a lot later than usual, so I looked for you with my powers, and I couldn't help but sense your grief about your brother. I stopped reading your heart a few seconds after I found you, but please tell me he's alive, at least! Is Ingenium alive?!"_ Izuku asked, weeping tears his friend refused to release.

Tenya lowered his head in sadness. _"Tensei-niisan is alive, but...Ingenium is dead, until another rises. I'm sorry you found me like that, Midoriya-kun. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'll make sure of it,"_ the blue blur said, a bit of hate flowing out of him at the end there, scaring Izuku a bit. The boy's phone beeped with a notification, and he pulled it out, having enough of the story to put together the rest of the pieces now.

_Hero Killer Strikes Again! Ingenium Falls!_

Izuku tosses his phone like it burned him, barely managing to catch it before it hits the ground with his aura before he puts it away, resolving to read about it later. Right now, his friend needed him. _"Iida-kun, what do you typically do to cope when you're upset?"_

Tenya shook his head, a fake smile on his face. "I'll be alright, Midoriya-kun. We should get to class now," he said, and Izuku could tell the boy was lying, even as he shut himself off from his friend.

All Izuku could do now is look into the issue, and ensure his friend didn't do anything rash.

Half An Hour Later

Aoyama complained half-heartedly upon finding that his seat was no longer in the number one position, the flashy teen having enjoyed the spotlight it gave him, though he made sure to bathe in the good-natured teasing sent his way by his classmates.

Aizawa rolled his eyes, as like every day, after the students rose and bowed for him, Bakugo called out for a salute for President Skroob, and the class saluted her. Like every day since day four, he let it happen, since they didn't exactly continue past that.

"HAIL SKROOB!"

That, and it was gradually helping Yaoyorozu come out of her shell, so there were more reasons to let it happen than not. Aureck appearing in her seat out of nowhere and startling a few of the kids forced him to cough to hide a chuckle. "You're not supposed to be in here yet, Shuzenji-san," the erasure hero commented dryly, not at all upset.

"Just wanted to see how they react to an unknown suddenly appearing in their midst, Aizawa-sensei. If this were anywhere but the school, I'd be worried, but I guess it makes sense that they feel safe here," the girl said, appearing invisible outside of her uniform, hands, and legs to many of the students, before getting out of her seat and making for the door. "I'll go back where I was meant to be waiting."

"Nah, just call Shinso-san in. I'll introduce the two of you when he's in here," the caffeine inhaler responded, gesturing with his hand that it wasn't a big deal.

The girl rolled her eyes, though this was only visible to their homeroom teacher, and opened the door and gestured for Shinso to come in. The amethyst-haired boy entered and stood at the front of the class with the other newcomer.

"My name is Shinso Hitoshi. My quirk is Mind Control. I'd say I'm not here to make friends, but it's a bit too late for that, so I will simply apologize again to Aoyama-san and Ojiro-san. I'm sorry I took advantage of the two of you the way I did in the sports festival," the eyebagged teen said.

Yuga sparkled in response, a grin upon his face, while Mashirao simply replied with, "Apology accepted."

Aureck spoke up next. "My name is Shuzenji Aureck. Yes, Aureck is a pseudonym. My original designation is one I've since shed, and I will let you know the designation I've appointed myself if _I_ feel like it. My quirk is a hassle, hence the quirk-suppressing cuffs, but I'm similar to Izuku-kun in that I have a power that is not a quirk. I have had a...less than usual upbringing. As such, despite having a pro hero license and being twice the age of most of you, I've been enrolled as your classmate. No, the backpack will not be coming off around any of you, and no, I will not be showing any of you what I look like anytime soon. I apologize for my secrecy, but...Well, Izuku-kun can probably explain some of it later," the girl said quietly before going back to her seat, Hitoshi taking his cue to do the same.

Shota nodded, then took a drink of his coffee. "Free period. Get to know the new kids or study or something. I've got paperwork to do," the man said, then got to said paperwork as he kept an eye on his kids and his colleague.

Bakugo was about to try and talk to the new girl, already having a nickname in mind, before he was stopped by Izuku basically thudding into him and wrapping him up in a hug. "Um, dude, not that I mind, but what's got you huggy all of a sudden? Weird-ass nerd," the aggressively friendly teen commented with a bit of a smirk.

_"I found out about the plug last night, and what you did for me. Thank you Kacchan. I need to talk to you later about some things I learned,"_ Izuku said as a few tears emerged, making the boy's shirt start turning moist.

"Get off me, nerd. You shouldn't be thanking me for that. I was still an ass to you regardless," Katsuki said with a roll of his eyes and a half-hearted push. "You okay? You're a bit weepier than normal. I'm glad it's not coming out like a geyser, but this feels...different."

"His power means he feels more than most people," Aureck's voice said from behind Katsuki, the boy whirling around after quickly letting go of his crying friend. "He's not used to it yet, and since his power is still reawakening, his emotions will only get more potent. I probably should have told him about that sooner. My power is like that, too. I'm just used to it by this point. I'm glad he doesn't have issues like I had at one point. I nearly went mad."

The ash blond frowned at the space the girl's head occupied, even if he couldn't see it. "Your power is like Izuku's? You didn't have anything to do with…" the boy trailed off, suddenly unwilling to talk about it.

An unpleasant feeling found its way into Katsuki's heart. "Unwillingly, but yes, I did. He and I were both granted similar powers, through less than humane methods," the girl said, then saw Izuku beginning to tear up, the boy having issues with the tension between the two. The boy saw a flash of blond hair as her control wavered. "I've said too much. I'm sorry I upset you, Izuku-kun. I'll go...elsewhere for now." Her form wavered for an instant before it reformed on the other side of the room, the girl now at her desk and pulling out some study material.

Izuku turned a stern gaze to his friend. _"Please don't antagonize her. She was a victim of my male parent as well. I haven't tried very hard to get her to talk about it, but she...might be related to me. She's clearly nervous with all these people around. Aureck-san's actually a lot easier to talk to when she's more relaxed,"_ the green-haired teen explained.

The human armory gave his friend a placating smile. _"Fine, I'll keep the nickname I thought up to myself. We'll find out what kind of person she is soon enough anyway. Nothing like good old fisticuffs to learn about someone new, after all,"_ he said with a smirk.

_"Kacchan, no."_

_"KACCHAN, YES!"_

About An Hour Later, In The Girl's Changing Room

Izuku going over the fact that he was essentially a test tube baby with an older brother who lived in his head had gone surprisingly well. Aureck had provided bits of info for him to relay, wanting to ensure that he gave his friends correct information, though she kept her part of the discussion telepathic and exclusive to Izuku and Ochako. Now, a few minutes into getting her costume on, the girl came across an issue...

"GODDAMNIT, MEIMEI!" a voice screamed from within a stall that was typically used for showers, but was currently being commandeered by Aureck to change into her hero suit.

Tsuyu, who happened to be closest, knocked on the door to the stall. "Do you need help with anything, Aureck-chan? You sound kinda upset, kero," the amphibious girl asked kindly.

A groan of exasperation came from within. "Yes, I do. Sorry, but could you get Uraraka-san? I'd ask you, but I'm in a tight spot here, and I'm not comfortable-"

"Don't worry about it, Kero. I'll get Uraraka-chan for you," the long-haired girl replied.

A sigh of relief was heard from within. "Thank you, Asui-san," the secretive girl said.

"Call me Tsu-chan."

"Okay, thank you, Tsu-chan," Aureck said with a ghost of a smile on her invisible face, the frog-like girl's intent behind her words strong enough that the woman could feel her intent to befriend her without even trying.

There was the sound of Tsuyu walking away, then silence for a moment, the brunette she sought having finished getting changed already. Ochako arrived soon after, knocking on the door gently. "Everything all right in there, Aureck-san?"

"They could be better, but it's not as big a deal as it could be. As my costume currently is, it requires...two people to put on. Meimei pulled a prank on me. She definitely knew I'd change away from you guys, so she made a change to my costume that I'd not predicted. You can...come in, I guess."

The brunette entered quietly, looking away just in case. "You don't have to look away. None of my privates are showing or anything. It's just a single part of the costume," the nervous woman reassured her acquaintance. Ochako turned her head and smiled.

The enigma's head was encased in a helmet, much like her own, but different in that it showed none of her features. The rest of her outfit was a jumpsuit with armored portions, covering the torso more than anything, though knee and elbow pads, along with some wrist guards covered her limbs. There was a piece sitting off to the side, but Ochako couldn't figure out where it went.

"Uraraka-san, please, if you could refrain from telling others about this? Izuku-kun, you can tell, since he's probably started figuring it out himself, and Inko as well, since I've outright shown her, but I don't want the others hearing about this anytime soon...It...goes on my back," the woman said, sounding quiet as she said it.

Ochako refrained from picking the armor piece up, wrapping the shorter woman in a hug instead. "I'm glad you decided to have me do this. You and I both know you could have run out and gotten Hatsume-san or anybody else in the school to put this on, and you had me do it. Thanks, Aureck-chan," the brunette said, releasing the enigma from her hug and lifting the armor piece up, lining it up with the appropriate spot on her back. With a whirr and a click, the armor put itself in place. It then clamped onto the rest of the suit around it, having apparently been intended to only need two people the first time.

The helmeted girl nodded. "I'm glad you keep proving him right. You and your friends. There are good people in the world. I just have to look," she said, then got up and smacked her fist into her palm and cracked her shoulders.

"I can't wait to find out who I'm paired with!"

A Few Minutes Later

Eijiro and his horn buddy, Mina, were having a blast. They were caught up in a game of cat and mouse, frequently switching who was who. Eijiro was a solid fighter, both figuratively and literally, and his blows packed a punch. However, given enough room, Ashido was able to turn the tide, having found out the level of acidity necessary to put her friend on the defensive.

The two were about to teach the other something important, something they'd be glad they learned in class and not in an actual fight.

"RAAAAGH!" the red-haired chivalrous hero roared, gritting his teeth and pushing through the pain as well as the acid stream, before he sent his opponent flying with a hardened backhand.

Mina let out a shriek of pain as she fell to the ground, prompting her opponent to forget the match and rush over to her, gently nudging the girl. "Ashido, are you okay?" he asked.

Unseen to him, the girl grinned, then whirled around and in seconds, the boy was pinned, his arms behind his back and Ashido's hand grasping his head. "Looks like I win this round, Kirishima-kun!" she exclaimed.

**"Young Ashido wins! Wonderful job, even if your tactic at the end there was underhanded. It is a good idea for young Kirishima to learn to expect such tactics, though, so thanks for helping with that! And young Kirishima, that burst of determination at the end there was excellent! Fighting through the pain to achieve victory! Very Plus Ultra of you! Make sure to be careful what situation you try something like that in, though. If you injure yourself to defeat one foe, another will swoop in and finish what their fellow started! Never try that in the field if you lack sufficient backup,"** the mightiest of school teachers explained, enjoying the fights he's witnessed thus far today.

The crimson fanboy's eyes widened. "You pulled an unmanly move to teach me? You keep getting manlier and manlier, Ashido!" Eijiro exclaimed as he was lifted to his feet by his fellow heroics student.

The horned girl grinned. "You taught me something there, too, Kirishima-kun! I can't get complacent when I feel like I have the edge. Gotta get in there quick and secure the win! If you were a villain, that backhand probably would have been a knife stab instead!" Mina exclaimed as she got on the other boy's back and got him in a headlock, giving him a noogie.

The two laughed as they got off the field, Eijiro not bothering to get his horn buddy off of his back. All Might looked over his students, wanting to find a good matchup that could help both combatants grow. **"Let's see…"**

"Sensei. Put me in. I wanna fight the new girl," a growly voice said, pops and sparks coming from the speaker's hands.

All Might chuckled nervously. **"Young Bakugou, that might not be the best-"**

"I get it. She's the strongest one in the class. She also has a bone to pick with me. I get to challenge myself, and she gets to vent a bit. It's a win-win if you ask me. After all," the boy said, his grin turning manic. "HOW CAN I STAND NEXT TO IZUKU AT THE TOP IF I DON'T CHALLENGE MYSELF, HUH?!"

All Might sighed, and was about to rebuke the boy, before Aureck interrupted him. "Very well. I accept. Just don't complain when you lose," she said simply, getting into position on the other side of the field. A sound like a cannon was heard off in the distance, and in seconds, a power armor landed behind the girl, a good bit bigger than she was. She hovered ominously and floated back into it, the green machine opening up and taking her in, before a single pink mono-eye lit up.

Katsuki's grin exploded wider. "IZUKU! HOIST 'EM!" he roared. With a smile, the freckled teen complied, taking the banner from where he'd stored it earlier and floating it over to the field, the Flag of Friendship arriving soon after, now bearing Shoto's and Hitoshi's names. "You see that, Aureck-san? THERE'S STILL SPACE ON THE FUCKING FLAG! Even if there wasn't, we'd just make a bigger one! When you've revealed your real fucking name to us, we're putting it up there!"

The power armor stepped back, Aureck feeling intimidated in that moment, before she tried to hide it. "Absurd! Everything about you is absurd! You hurt him, but you claim friendship?! I'll show you your place!" she screamed, her voice audible clearly even through the thick armor as she flew into the air and fired a red beam at where Katsuki had been.

"OF COURSE I'M ABSURD! WE'RE ALL CRAZY IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, LADY! THAT'S WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN!" the angriest befriender shouted as he flew after his new target, who dodged out of the way. Except…

Katsuki was kinda expecting that! Now with the boy on the back of her power armor, Aureck was panicking a little. "FUNNEL!" she shouted unexpectedly. _'Why? Why did I say that? I only did that when I'd play with Meimei when she was little!'_

Just as in her imaginary fights with the Hatsume genius, the funnels flew, all twenty-four emerging from her power armor's quad wings, before they fired off lances of red hot laser at the spot Katsuki had been occupying.

"YOU GOT ME A PRESENT?!" the mad lad exclaimed, having swapped the bulky perch of the girl's power armor for a newer, sleeker one, having landed atop one of her drones. The encased woman roared in frustration as her drones attempted one after another to hit the boy, only for him to dodge each one expertly. This went on for around half a minute before he surprised her by knocking the helmet off of her armor.

"HOW?! HOW DID YOU BREAK THROUGH MY ARMOR?!" she screamed, suddenly afraid, her head only clad in a balaclava now, the boy having removed both helmets.

"I'll tell you how. You underestimated me! Now, I'm gonna hit you RIGHT IN THE FEELS!"

**"This passion of mine is burning blue! ITS HEARTSCREAM DEMANDS I GRASP FRIENDSHIP!"**

_'Shit! He's got my helmet under his arm!'_ the falling heroine thought to herself. _'Why won't my armor move?! MOVE, DAMNIT!'_

Suddenly, he was perched on the front of her power armor. "TAKE THIS! **BEFRIENDING, BURNING FINGEEEEER!"** the blond bombshell roared.

Aureck flinched back, assuming the worst. Bold of her to assume she knew what Katsuki was all about. She was startled when instead of an explosion to the face, she got a flick to the nose. "I think that's enough fucking venting. Hope you had as much fun as I did, Obaasan," the boy said as he hopped off, landing below. "Hey, Sensei! I fucking forfeit. She ain't got her head in the game, so I'm gonna have to fight one of these chumps instead."

"I'm not _that_ old, brat!" Aureck exclaimed, face burning red under the balaclava. "I'm only twenty-eight!"

"HAAAH? Well fine, then, NEESAN!" the bombastic blasty boy corrected himself, only to find himself looking up at the girl who was suddenly right in front of him.

"I did have fun, though. Thank you. I...think I know why you won there, so I'm going to let you in on something I haven't told many people. I assume you know I expect you to keep this info to yourself," she said, then gulped and added, "You won because your determination to befriend me was leagues more powerful than my determination to keep my heart closed off. My name, not my designation, my name that I chose for myself…"

Her voice turned into a whisper.

"My name is Shuzenji Himiko."

"HAAAH?! SPEAK UP, LADY! I'M HARD OF HEARING, HAVEN'T YOU HEARD?! TOO MANY FUCKING EXPLOSIONS!"

"DAMMIT, YOU BRAT, I SAID MY NAME IS HIMIKO! GET SOME GODDAMN HEARING AIDS, YOU LITTLE IDIOT!" Himiko shrieked, then blinked, realizing her mistake, and yanked off her balaclava in frustration. Realizing that she'd revealed even _more_ in frustration, the fanged girl emerged from her power armor and shrieked, "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS, YOU UPSTART BRAT!"

"ONLY AFTER YOU'VE PUT YOUR NAME ON THE FLAG OF FRIENDSHIP!"

"FINE! I'LL PUT MY NAME ON YOUR DUMB FLAG! MEIMEI, I KNOW YOU'RE WATCHING THIS! I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY! I'M NOT MAKING YOUR COLD BREW FOR A WEEK!"

The class was startled when a voice responded over the PA system. "BOLD OF YOU TO ASSUME I HAVEN'T PROGRAMMED A ROBOT EXPLICITLY FOR THAT, KO-CHAN! YOU'LL HAVE TO GET BACK AT ME ANOTHER WAY! NOBODY TOUCHES MY COFFEE! **NOBODYYYY!"**

Class was a bit difficult to get under control, but they're good kids, so All Might managed.

A Few Classes Later

The students were figuring out their hero names. Some had to be rethought out, like Alien Queen. Others were perfect, like The Friendly Ghost. Some had additions, like Tsukuyomi and The Raven. Others…

"The Sparkling Hero, I Cannot Stop Twinkling!"

Others, like the above, were perfect, but needed work anyway.

"The Blast Hero, Kacchan!"

Others, like the above, were names given by others.

Then, we have Izuku, who had to rewrite everything about himself in the heroics sense three times now. First, upon discovering his quirklessness. Second, upon awakening the powers he'd essentially been bred to have. Third, when he obtained One for All.

No, there was a fourth time. Scratching off the name he'd thought of before, he pondered more, before he got a suggestion.

Izuku blinked, then turned to Ochako, who gave him a thumbs up. It was a solid suggestion. He'd go with it.

The fourth time, when he obtained the bonds he'd desperately yearned for all these years, from his dear friends.

"The Bright Hero, Cobalt!"

A/N: You thought Aureck was an OC, DAGA KONO HIMIKO DA! Jojo's reference aside, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Stay safe and healthy, and remember that Black Lives Matter. Still non-negotiable.


	18. Chapter 18

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Eighteen_

A/N: Thanks again to all of you! I love doing this stuff! Been too long since I felt great writing fanfiction! Whoo!

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOTOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking.'_

'Sign language.'

Later That Same Day

Izuku did his best to focus on his classwork, but he couldn't stop worrying about Tenya. Despite the end of his brother's days of heroics, the teen refrained from taking the name Ingenium. What's more, he ended up deciding on one of the less impressive agencies to intern with, the boy having tens of offers from agencies belonging to heroes higher up in ranking. Concerned, Izuku took advantage of the fact that some of his green aura was still within the boy, and read what was in his heart…

_'He took my brother's dream, so I'll destroy him!'_

Izuku recoiled at the hate he sensed, then quickly went to take a discreet look at his offers, finding that he, too, had an offer from Manual. Taking a quick look at his secretly distraught friend, Izuku made a decision. _'Gotta prioritize. I'll get other opportunities, but if Iida-kun gets injured or killed, I'll never forgive myself,'_ the boy thought to himself, circling Manual's name on the list and placing a roman T next to it, to ensure he didn't forget.

A clone of Ectoplasm suddenly appeared next to him, the doppelganger flicking him in the head. "Midoriya-san, I know you're doing well in my class, but please pay attention. You will have time for figuring out internship offers later," the facsimile of his math teacher scolded.

The verdette nodded. "Sorry, Sensei. I'll put this away," he said as he did just that, the clone vanishing as Ectoplasm got back to the lesson. In the corner of his eyes, he saw his girlfriend, the idea still making him blush even now, giving him a serious look and signing under her desk.

'Talk. Later.'

Izuku responded with a feeling of confirmation, not wanting to disrupt class anymore than he already had.

"Now, it you'll all turn to page seventy…"

At The End Of The Day

Tenya walked with purpose. _'I have to leave now. If I look into their eyes again, I don't know if I'll be able to…'_

"Iida-kun!" a pair of voices exclaimed, Ochako and Izuku having made their way to the boy in a hurry. "Let's walk to the station together!" the green half of the couple exclaimed, a bit of desperation in his voice despite his attempts to keep his concern hidden.

The blunette sighed. _'So much for that,'_ he thought to himself, unable to keep his eyes away from the two of them, before sending a smile that physically hurt their way. "Sure, you two! Do you have everything you need?"

The pair nodded, and he got the feeling that their grins were strained as well. _'I've hurt these two with my pain. I'll have to apologize to them later,'_ the tallest of them thought, a bit of sadness behind his bespectacled eyes. _'None of us is very good at hiding our hearts, it seems.'_

The three of them walked in silence for a while, none of them willing to speak of the elephant in the room. Ingenium had fallen in battle. While the person behind the mask lived, Tenya's adored elder brother would never take up the mantle of Ingenium again.

The silence was stifling, and the three teens couldn't help but feel awkward. Nobody spoke until it was time for Tenya to depart the train.

"Iida-kun, you know you can come to us if you have problems, right? We're your friends, after all!" the bubbly brunette, a pained smile of her own on her face, reminded him.

This time, Tenya didn't even smile, his back turned to the two of them. "I'm sorry. This is something I must do myself. Please be safe on your way home, you two," he replied softly. He walked away, determined once again to do what he felt needed doing.

A Few Days Later

The students of 1-A were all at their internships. Despite her worry for her boyfriend and Tenya, Ochako accepted her invitation to intern with the Battle Hero, Gunhead. She was determined to be strong enough that she wouldn't fall behind Izuku, if they were to be a hero team like it was starting to look. She had even found from Gunhead that a fanclub existed for the two of them as a ship now, the man wanting to let the two of them know so that it didn't catch them off guard. The head of said fanclub…

"MINA-CHAAAAAAN!" was heard from Gunhead's dojo as a warcry for a while that day. Izuku found himself blushing at some of the fanart some of their fans had made. Some even had them holding hands!

Shoto interned with his father, though before any of that, he made sure to visit his mother, Rei. She was delighted to see him, and the two took a picture together. It felt like the first time Shoto had grinned like that in a long time.

Tooru was really happy with her new costume. It could turn invisible with the push of a button, and was incredibly colorful when not invisible, like the girl's own personality, sporting a tie-dye look with many hues across the rainbow. She interned with Katsuki, finding that the two of them had both gotten an offer from Mt. Lady. She was enjoying her internship, and while the ash blond would be all tsundere about it, he was enjoying it, too.

Others, like Momo, however, were not as happy with their internships, though the class president did her best to hide this fact, doing her damndest to make this a learning experience. Her upgraded hero suit was less...fanservicey, and a lot better for combat. Several small holes, specifically for blades or other nasty things to emerge from dotted strategic parts of her suit, and a pair of armored shoulder pads had small holes from which she could push out shoulder-mounted weapons. A cape completed the ensemble, the fabric simultaneously lightweight and comfy, meant more to wrap around victims for comfort than anything, along with a helmet meant to protect her ears for when she started firing her shoulder weapons.

Tenya...found somebody familiar when he arrived at his internship. When he got the time, he pulled Izuku aside. "What are you doing?" the blunette whispered harshly.

The freckled empath frowned at his friend. "Prioritizing," he answered simply, before continuing telepathically, _"I can't bring attention to it without you getting in trouble, but I will DEFINITELY be making sure you don't get hurt!"_

Tenya visibly flinched, and the two of them made their way back to their temporary coworkers. _"You didn't have to do this,"_ the irritated speedster conveyed.

Izuku shook his head. _"No, I didn't, but if I didn't, and you got hurt or killed, I'd have never been able to live with myself. Now let's just try to get through the day for now, okay? We can talk more about this later,"_ the empath replied, his friend understanding that the boy could have him sent back to U.A. to be reprimanded if he had to.

And so, the two managed to get through their first day with Manual without incident…

Three Days Later

Izuku decided that Katsuki was right about one more thing. Murphy is a bitch, because his law sucks. Everything was exploding, those artificial villains were attacking, and Tenya had been in a different patrol group at the time, Izuku learning that he'd run off the very second things started turning pear-shaped. Izuku contacted Manual telepathically. _"I'm gonna get Iida-kun back. I know exactly where he is, so it shouldn't take too long,"_ Izuku said, though the part about it not taking long might have been a white lie. With green aura, the verdette was slower than his swift classmate, so it all depended on whether or not he got to Tenya before the second son of Ingenium got to Stain.

In minutes, Izuku found himself with even more hate for Murphy's Law. Tenya _had_ found Stain, but that wasn't all. The Hero Killer was in the process of one of his purges when he found him. Izuku could sense his friend's fear and hate upon seeing the villain about to kill again. Before Tenya could be hurt, though, Izuku put up a wall of green aura, unwilling to allow the bloodied villain to harm his friend. Though he didn't notice it, the verdette's power bled a bit red as he accelerated to his friend's position.

"Iida-kun!" the boy shouted from atop a roof overlooking the fight, pulling him and Native up and over the roof before he punched his friend in his armored head. _"I was so worried! Don't do something like that again!"_

The adrenaline leaving his body for the moment, Tenya flopped down to the ground, having properly _felt_ his friend's terror with that blow. "I'm sorry, Midoriya-kun. I'm sorry I made you feel like that. W-we should get back to Manual," the speedster said, making to get up before he was pulled aside by Izuku's green aura, the boy's armor taking the blow that had been aimed at him.

"I was in the middle of something, and suddenly two more targets-WAIT, WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING?!" Stain shouted as his victims began fleeing mid-monologue. The former vigilante threw knives at his target, only for the shorter armored boy to intercept them, the blades falling to the ground harmlessly after they impacted his armor.

Even as Izuku made sure to take blows meant for the other two, he panicked. _"His hate is so powerful! It's terrifying! Please, if somebody is nearby, help!"_ he pleaded, praying that somebody he had a bond with was near enough to do something.

Izuku did his best to keep Tenya and Native away from their foe, having already concluded that he was fast enough that they couldn't escape. He'd have to find out exactly what it was that determined the strength of his barriers, because this man just pushed them aside like a child knocks down a castle of cards. He did _not_ enjoy playing keep away like this, the man now ranting mad as he attempted to break his armor open with his swords, the verdette doing his best to occupy his attention. He did not need to hold out long, thankfully.

Like a comet, Himiko descended from the sky. "How dare you...HOW DARE YOU?! STAY AWAY FROM MY BABY BROTHER!" she screamed from within her armor as she flew at the hero killer, red aura engulfing her as she bashed the hero killer across the face. Chizome scowled as he flew back at his new target, his hands grabbing hers as the two pushed against one another.

"YOU CURSED FAKE HEROES! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" he roared, not noticing the back of the armor he was facing off against opening up as Himiko emerged and cloaked herself from her foe's senses, then flanked the man and knocked him out with a blow to the back of his head.

After she finished restraining the man, she turned to Native, pulling off her helmet, the balaclava no longer part of her outfit. "I'm going to administer first aid. Please don't be fussy about it," the newtype-themed heroine said as she made her way over to the injured hero and did just that.

Izuku sat with Tenya, having emerged from his armor to be more comfortable by his friend, who had simply removed his helmet. The verdette cried softly against his friend, who smiled awkwardly as he let the green bean let loose his waterworks. Soon enough, Himiko made her way to the two of them, a scowl on her face.

"You two are lucky I was in the area. Don't do something like this again!" she exclaimed before she, too, started crying, dropping down and wrapping her arms around the boys. "You're too young to die, so please don't scare me like that again."

Izuku chuckled, relieved that they were out of danger. "So, baby brother? Was I right that you're my big sister, then?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

The girl smirked, flicking him in the forehead. "Half sister, but close enough. Let's get this guy in custody, and the two of you back to Manual," Himiko said softly, before the two pros and the two interns rose, her armor holding onto their unconscious prisoner separate from her, Izuku putting his back on as well. They didn't make it far before the verdette was picked up suddenly by a Nomu, the beast making off with the freckled empath who sensed something familiar.

_"Tsubasa-san?"_


	19. Chapter 19

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Nineteen_

A/N: I want each and every one of you to find a mirror and look at it. That person in the mirror? They're absolutely frikkin' magnificent. Always be like the person in the mirror. They are you, and you are glorious.

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOOTOOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

Meanwhile, At Mount Lady's Agency

Katsuki sat up in the bed he'd been provided and scowled. Interning with his cousin was nice, so there was no reason he should be upset like he was. She was always fun to hang out with, the teen recalling a time when she gigantified and put him on her shoulder when he was just a little kid. That was fucking awesome.

No, his irritation was from something else. He just couldn't place it. It wasn't his co-intern, that's for sure. She was a pain at times, but she was also really fun to hang out with, the invisible girl enjoying helping with his occasional pranks during downtime. No, he'd have to think harder to figure out what was upsetting him, and damn it, it was going to keep him up until he figured it out. So, he got up and headed to the kitchen, intent on making a bit of chocolate milk.

He likes sweet food, so sue him!

As he made his way to the kitchen, he saw that the light was already on. _'Guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep tonight, huh?'_ The ash blond wandered into the kitchen to find a mug floating in the air in front of some pajamas. Taking a second to figure out where her eyes were, Katsuki spoke. "So, you're having trouble sleeping, too?"

The mug lifted to where the girl's lips presumably were, and moved up and down a tad, letting the explosive teen know she'd nodded. "I'm just a bit anxious for some reason. I've got a feeling, like something's wrong, but I can't place what," she responded softly. Her quietness bothered the befriender of many. She's supposed to be as loud as he is, and he didn't like this subdued behavior.

"If it helps, I think I've figured it out," the blond stated, surprising the girl. At least, he assumed that's why her mug jumped a little. He hoped she didn't burn her tongue or anything. As Katsuki set to make himself his chocolate milk, he elaborated. "That nerd, Izuku, put some of his power in all of us. Unless we use it up, or he takes it back, it'll stick around. He's probably in some sort of trouble right now, but since he's all the way over in Hoth, all we can do is believe in him from here. Raise his morale and all that crap. Everybody else is probably asleep right now, though, so I guess you and I should do our part. Think of something in recent memory that made you happy. That'd probably help."

Tooru gave her friend an invisible smile. "You're sweet, you know that? You're all gruff and tough, but you love all of us, I can tell," the girl said with a lilt of a giggle.

Bakugou rolled his eyes. "You're part of the reason I'm still gruff and tough, remember?" he commented with a blush.

Tooru was already halfway down memory lane at that point…

First Day Of School, Before Izuku's Arrival

Tooru was walking down the hall, a bit nervous. _'Where is it? Where is 1-A?'_ she wondered, really really worried. Normally, she'd ask one of her many friends, however, none of them made it in with her. So lost in her worries was she, that she knocked over a boy in her absent-minded state.

"Fuck! For a floating school uniform, you're solid!" the boy exclaimed noisily, then dusted himself off and got up. The boy gave her a once over, and then looked at her cheeks, and she realized suddenly. He was looking for her eyes. "Damnit-I mean, darn it, I can't make friends with the first person I bump into if I can't make eye contact," he said with a grin that felt forced, a forced calm finding its way into his voice.

"Well, you're on the right track! Look about a centimeter higher, and...There you go! Your eyes are focused on the wall behind me, but that's okay. Thanks for the effort!" Tooru exclaimed, successfully hiding the bit of fluster in her voice, and not even needing to try to hide her blush. He may have been focusing on the wall behind her eyes, but _damn,_ was his stare intense. The girl extended her hand awkwardly, the boy's eyes suddenly focusing on her sleeve before figuring out what she was doing and seeking her hand with his before giving a firm shake. "I'm Hagakure Tooru! Class 1-A, if I can ever find it!" she exclaimed happily.

"Bakugou Katsuki, likewise. It's nice to meet you...Oh for fuck's sake! I wanna do this whole friendship thing, but forcing calmness is just irritating!" the boy exploded in the middle of introducing himself. "You! Bright Eyes! You do the whole friendship thing! What do you suggest for a fuckup like me who's always angry?" he shouted suddenly, pointing a finger at her face.

Tooru couldn't help but laugh. She _loved_ the nickname. "I dunno. Maybe try...being _aggressively_ friendly? See how that works?" the invisible girl suggested with a shrug.

Her new friend shrugged. "I guess? That sounds like fun, actually! Let's ride this ship together. It's a friendship! The SS Getalong! Now, First Mate Bright Eyes, let's find 1-A, and befriend the fuck out of everybody there!" he exclaimed, then pointed down a random hallway.

"Aye aye, Captain! So, is this a pirate ship, or..."

"Fuck yeah, let's be fucking pirates! Our treasure is our goddamn friends, and so we'll get a huge fucking crew for the SS Getalong! Let's get the treasure chest of friends that is 1 fucking A!" the newly-minted pirate captain exclaimed as they headed in whatever direction they felt like. Lucky for them, 1-A was, in fact, in that direction.

Back To The Present

The two teenagers grinned at the memory, really glad that they'd met one another that day. They sent the happy feelings Izuku's way, and browsed their phones, hoping to find what was going on that was upsetting their friend.

As she was perusing news sites, Tooru looked to her friend. "You know, I was going to go with something really crummy for my hero name before you came along. I...wasn't really expecting to do very well, but you make me want to do better, so...thanks for that, Cap'n Kacchan," the girl said softly.

Her captain rolled his eyes. "Don't mention it, First Mate Bright Eyes," he said, then scowled at his phone. "Fuck, that looks bad. Reload whatever page you're on. It's probably just not loaded yet on it. This is gonna be all over the news for a fucking week."

Tooru did as her friend suggested, and gasped in horror. "There's no way there are going to be zero casualties...I don't even want to think of the body count..." the girl muttered in quiet terror. She felt a hand fumbling along her side, and realized that her friend was also probably scared. The invisible girl grasped the hand of her friend tightly, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Midoriya-kun and Iida-kun will be okay, Bakugou-kun. Just focus on my hand for now," the invisible girl said softly, hoping to comfort the bundle of nervous energy that stood next to her. She was startled when the boy pulled her into a hug, silent tears wracking his body. Tooru made sure to hold him close as the two made their way over to a couch to sit down.

_'Midoriya-kun, Iida-kun, please don't make me a liar! Please be okay!'_

With Izuku

The freckled empath was _not_ enjoying his evening. First, he nearly lost one of his friends and a pro hero to a fanatic psychopath, and now he's being carried around by a genetically engineered monstrosity that has the mind of somebody he _used to know personally_ amongst the captive consciousnesses in its form.

_"Tsubasa-san! Tsubasa-san! Wake up! You have to fight it!"_ Izuku screamed desperately, launching one of his shields and smashing it into the nomu. Released for the moment, Izuku drifted down to the ground as the creature came for another pass.

_"Wha...Deku?"_

_"Yes, it's me! It's Deku! You don't have to be afraid of me! Now fight it!"_ the armored teen shouted, throwing a bit of confidence and joy that found its way into his heart over to the winged teen. He'd have to thank his friends later for that.

_"Yeah, that's...right...You're Deku...Yeah, I can fight...I can...WAAAAAGGHHH!"_ the boy screamed, suddenly being taken back into the dark depths of the nomu's consciousness.

Izuku wailed in heartache, feeling his former bully's terror and agony as he was dragged back into obscurity, the empath suddenly unable to sense Tsubasa anymore. Izuku brought his shields up, placing them between himself and the nomu careening at him, not willing to hurt the boy anymore.

He didn't have to.

"FUNNEL!" Marida screamed in fury, suddenly at his side and glowing red, the drones in question firing searing lines of red into the body of the nomu until nothing was left, then continuing further until even the gore was ashes. For good measure, the girl fired off an enormous beam of red aura from the chest of her armor, vaporizing the ashes. The girl quickly got out of her armor and looked him in the eyes. "Get out of your armor. You're done for the evening," she stated with finality.

Izuku did come out, but he ran at her with a half-hearted punch. So distraught was he, that he couldn't even put any power behind the blows he began landing on the girl, who just stood there and took it. "WHY? WHY DID YOU KILL TSUBASA-SAN? I COULD HAVE...I could have…' he wailed, the shorter woman catching his final punch and pulling him into a hug, rubbing his back gently.

"No, you couldn't have. Not at this point. Even if you could give him his consciousness back, what about a body? That form is hardly acceptable to live in. I know it hurts. I hurt too, but the best we could do for him is end his suffering. I've been in his position many times before. If he could, he'd thank us. I know i would," the genetically altered heroine explained softly, before standing the boy up and looking him in the eye. "That being said, I _never_ want you to kill if you can help it. With your empathic powers, if you were to kill somebody, you'd likely damage your mind beyond repair. I can only get away with it because I'm weaker than you in that regard, and even for me, that hurt like a bitch. I'm going to take this Stain character in, but _you_ need to go home and rest. I'll let Manual and Iida-san know. Now go home, okay? Get a good night's sleep."

Cobalt nodded mutely, and flew off, not one hundred percent aware. _'Home...Home is where love is...Home is where I'm safe…'_ he thought to himself, unconsciously heading to one of two places he considered home in that moment, even if it wasn't where his mother was. This one was closer, after all.

Before long, he found himself outside an apartment complex, Ochako coming out and letting him in as she comforted the boy, his pain so potent that even as he tried his best to keep it to himself, she felt it. She found some baggy pajamas that he changed into without really thinking about it, and the two of them fell asleep atop her bed, tears running down both their faces as they held one another tightly.

The Next Morning

Ochako rose early, not able to sleep very well. She was startled for a moment when she found Izuku in her bed with her, but then she remembered the events of the night before. _'I should tell his mom he's here,'_ the brunette thought to herself, sending the woman a quick text explaining what happened. The woman, apparently not all that worried about the two being together overnight, simply thanked her and said she'd be bringing some of his things over later in case this happened again, and offered to take some things of hers to their place in case she ever needed to crash with them.

Ochako smiled and accepted the offer, then turned to her boyfriend, running her fingers through his curly green hair, only to frown when she found something unexpected. _'A grey hair? Is he actually that stressed, or is it something else?'_ the girl wondered, upsetting thoughts running through her head.

Almost as if he heard those thoughts, and maybe he did, the boy awoke, groggy and a little confused before he recognized his surroundings. Izuku looked up at the brunette, then grimaced, and she _felt_ him remembering last night. The greenette sat up before just staring at the floor. Ochako grasped his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked softly.

The hurt empath nodded, and they waited a minute or so for him to collect his thoughts. "You know that nomu creature that attacked at USJ?" he asked softly. The brown-eyed girl nodded, and waited for her friend to continue. "They aren't born like that. People are being experimented on, like Himiko-san and I were. There's more than one Nomu, and of the two I've encountered, both had the souls of multiple people trapped within them. The one I fought last night...had somebody I knew once. He was a bully, who hung out with Kacchan when we were little. I tried to save him, but…"

Uravity wrapped her arms around her boyfriend as he began sobbing again. "Uraraka-chan, he's dead! He was younger than you and I, and he's dead! I couldn't save him!" the boy exclaimed softly, brokenly, as he wept.

The brunette continued holding him. "You tried, though, right? You wanted to save him, and I can tell you weren't the one to kill him. That's all you could do," she said softly, rubbing the boy's back gently as he wept.

The two were interrupted by a knock on the door. Izuku lifted his head and stretched out his senses. "Iida-kun," he said softly, getting up with the intent to apologize. Uraraka wouldn't have it though, and pushed him back down, gesturing that she'd get the door.

The gravity manipulator got properly dressed quickly and got the door, finding her classmate in his hero costume. "I'm sorry to bother you, Uraraka-san, but I've been led to believe Izuku found his way here in his delirium last night, and I must speak with him about my abysmal behavior," he rambled as his classmate ushered him in, the blue blur quickly removing the armored boots from his hero costume as he made his way in.

"He's not doing that well right now, but I think seeing you will put him in a better mood. Last night was rough for him, so knowing you're alright will definitely help," the puffy-cheeked girl explained softly as she guided the honest hero to her room, where Izuku still was. As soon as their eyes met, Izuku got up, and the two started talking over each other.

"I'm sorry I left so suddenly-"

"I must apologize for the trouble-"

Upon realizing they were apologizing over each other, the two of them smiled softly at each other. Izuku rushed the boy and wrapped his arms around his friend's armored torso and just held him for a minute or so before peeling away and rearing back his hand. "BRIGHT SLAP!" he exclaimed, naming his 'attack' as he slapped Tenya in his face. "That's for making me worry so much! We could have _died,_ Iida-kun!" the greenette chastised as his friend stumbled back a couple steps.

"You're right. I'm sorry about that, Midoriya-kun. I was not in the right state of mind. Please forgive me," the bluenette said as he recovered, standing tall once more.

The freckled empath smiled softly at his friend. "I understand you're not ready to take the name Ingenium. I have a different idea, though, since Tenya shouldn't be your hero name, no matter what you say. Please kneel," Izuku said, bringing his armor from the corner of the room and putting it on. A blade of green emerged from its forearm, and Tenya had a dumb grin on his face despite himself as the blade harmlessly touched his shoulders. "Until you can accept the name Ingenium, I instead knight thee Callidum. Now, rise, Turbo Hero Callidum!"

And rise Callidum did. Izuku held out a fist, and the two armored heroes bro-fisted.

"While I'm really glad you two are happy, I can't get changed with you two here! Skedaddle! We'll chat later!" Ochako exclaimed with a grin. And skedaddle they did, with Izuku accidentally leaving the cloth portion of his hero costume, wearing the pajamas he'd borrowed from Ochako underneath. That would be a laugh and a half when they realized this later.

The young heroes were saddened, but would recover.

After Internships Ended, At A Certain Park

Izuku sat upon a swing that he honestly shouldn't still be able to fit on, but he couldn't be bothered. A bag of chocolates he remembered Tsubasa liking as a kid sat nearby. Evening was approaching, and so, too, was Katsuki, the boy carrying his own bag of chocolates, and some bottled milk for the two of them. Cobalt stood, quietly greeting Kacchan, and they wandered off to a quiet area of the park.

The two boys found a suitably large rock, and began carving, intent on leaving the name of their deceased acquaintance there. Soon, though, Izuku got up, surprising his friend. "We're not alone," he said with a small smile.

Sure enough, all of 1-A, including Eraserhead, had shown up, each with a bag of chocolate of their own, Ochako looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I kinda abused our Bond to figure out what you were doin', and I told the others," she explained softly.

Her boyfriend shook his head. "Don't be sorry. Be Uravity. Thanks so much," he replied softly. Each of them left a single piece of chocolate, unwrapped, by the makeshift tombstone, and kneeled in silence for a bit. Eventually, they rose to leave, intent on doing whatever they could to ensure tragedies like this never happened again.

That's what makes them heroes.


	20. Chapter 20

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty_

A/N: Thanks, all of you, for your support! My snoring pug also thanks you! Twenty chapters?! WHOOOO!

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/Passionate speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

First Heroics Class After Internships

Izuku grinned, hoping to do well in this rescue race. Blue aura flared off the boy, getting several of his friends more pumped than they already had been, and even getting an Aizawa-esque grin from the class's newest insomniac, Hitoshi.

Next to him, Several of the class's most mobile students geared up as well. Himiko, Sero, Tenya, Mina, and Ojiro completed this lineup. Callidum readied his engines, Cellophane prepped a bit of tape, Pinky got her hands that good old acid coating, a bit of a puddle also forming around her feet, Tailman flexed his impressive extra appendage, and Marida began sparking with a Red aura.

**"Ready, GO!"**

Even before his location was given, Izuku already knew where the hammy hero was, a line representing their bond lighting the way for him. However, it would be against the nature of the race to use a Hyperlane Jump, so he instead flew the normal way. It was more fun this way, after all.

Izuku needed to work on his ability to focus on a single emotion more. If he could focus on the joy of flight everytime he went airborne, he would be able to draw out his Blue aura even in dire situations. As it was, he was not the only one to take to the skies. While she was not being graded, having a pro licence already, it was decided that competing with her fellow students could only be good for his half sister, so Himiko flew beside him, the girl having taken a bit of his Blue aura for herself as she did her best to keep up. With a laugh, Izuku made his flight path more erratic, forcing his kin to adjust to his tactics so as to not be forced to rely solely on her Red aura.

Two lines, one of cobalt and one of crimson, flitted across the sky. Recovery Girl grinned at the sight from her spot on the sidelines, incredibly happy her daughter was having fun, even if she was inadvertently distracting her half-brother from the goal of the Rescue Race. As if he heard the aged hero's thoughts, Cobalt suddenly dove to the ground, landing right by All Might, who announced first and second place after a shout of surprise. Cellophane, also uniquely suited for the site of the rescue race, came in third, arriving less than ten seconds after the test tube siblings.

Learning that there were no injuries, Recovery Girl let out a sigh of relief, and awaited the next round.

In The Changing Room Afterwards

Izuku groaned in annoyance upon spotting the hole beneath a poster that came loose. "Who wants to figure out how long _this_ has been here?" the greenette wondered aloud, informing his girlfriend over their bond, who informed the other girls.

"Seriously? Ugh, people can be so gross!" Kyouka exclaimed from the other side of the wall, her voice loud enough from her disgust that the boys heard it clearly.

"You said it, Jack the Punk! Seriously, what is this, some sort of early two thousands anime? Hey, President Skroob? You know of anything you could shove in there to plug the hole?" Katsuki exclaimed, his voice loud enough to also be heard.

"She says she can't make anything that would be an appropriate replacement for getting the wall properly worked on, Captain!" Tooru's voice exclaimed from near the wall. "We should just tell Sensei about it."

"Speaking of holes, and tell me off if you don't wanna talk about it, but what _are_ those ports for?" Mina asked curiously from next to Himiko.

The blonde rolled her eyes, but explained anyway, sending the info to Izuku so he could get his side of the explanation over and done with. _"They're meant to install combat and map data, along with other sorts of info, and if Izuku or I were to find a compatible port, we'd be able to interface with it and the system it's connected to directly. There are a few compatible ports hidden around the school in case its cyber security needs a buff from yours truly._

_"They also...used to house our control chips. Our sperm donor, thankfully, lacked imagination, and while we couldn't destroy our own control chips, we could destroy each other's...Unfortunately, Izuku and I were only able to save each other before the system...started shutting the others down,"_ the cat-eyed woman said somberly.

Izuku frowned as dark thoughts not his own floated through his mind, the boy reaching out to his big brother to comfort him before the original owner of his body went back to sleep. _"There were more of us,"_ he said, suddenly realizing.

From the other side of the wall, Himiko nodded. _"Yup. I was Project Alpha, you were Project Zeta. There was the entire Greek alphabet made of us,"_ the artificial human replied grimly.

_"You were the first?"_

_"Yup. You were the last."_

Tsu walked over to the blonde, a curious look upon her face. _"Again, tell us off if we're getting too personal, but is your port bigger than Midoriya-chan's because you're older, or…"_

Himiko nodded. _"Last question I'm answering for a bit, but yes. Even in evil lairs, technology marches on. I was born around fourteen years before Izuku-kun, so my port's bulkier. A bit of a pain to hide, but thankfully, my bff is a mad engineer, and she's come up with several methods of making it less obvious. Baggy clothes definitely help, too,"_ the girl said as she finished changing into her modified school uniform.

From the other side of the wall, Mezo nodded in solidarity. _"Many of us born with body parts not normally found on a human are thankfully more able to adapt in today's society. Centuries ago, you, Mashirao-san, and I, would all have had trouble finding any sort of clothing to wear properly. I am glad that you have found somebody who cares about you enough to _build_ clothing that helps you blend in, Shuzenji-san,"_ the sensory hero commented sagely.

The fanged girl grinned. _"I'll have to introduce you all to my boyfriend sometime soon. He'd love you kids. Guy's nuttier than a fruitcake, but he's a sweetheart deep down,"_ Himiko remarked happily.

They returned to class soon after, sobered up by the fact that such evil existed in the world.

A Couple Days Later, At The Yaoyorozu Residence

Most of the students were in awe at the sheer size of Momo's home. They all knew she was a rich girl, but the size of the mansion she called home was…

"HOLY SHIT!" Ochako exclaimed in English, causing Izuku to jump next to her, the boy having been startled by the sudden shout he typically associated with All Might. Her face was even shaded oddly for half an instant before it went away.

It didn't take long for them to be shown to the living room, which was big enough to be its own house. Several tables had been set up near one another to allow each of the students to study in groups. It didn't take long for three groups to form, several people from the Bakusquad and the Izukrew forming two groups together, and the less outgoing members of the class formed another.

"Damnit, Kirishima! This one goes there, that one goes there!"

"I can see it, Izuku-kun! I see the numbers coming together!"

"Hagakure-san, come down from there! It's only algebra!"

"NEVER!"

Some of them studied more seriously than the others.

Two Hours Later

The study groups groaned in exhaustion.

"If somebody asks me to explain something in the space below anytime soon, I'll froppin' end their day on an unconscious note, kero," the rainy season hero commented, her sentiment essentially how everybody there felt at the moment.

"I do have some good news, though," Momo said with a smile, gesturing towards the class's invisible girl, who got up and stood in a way that made it obvious she had her hands on her hips.

"I've got gear that will let me turn off my quirk, and I want you guys to WITNESS MEEEE!" the invisible girl exclaimed, pulling out a pair of bracelets from her pockets.

Momo began to panic. "Wait, let me get a mirror before you put them on!" the class president exclaimed, halting the invisible girl before she could put the devices on. Minutes later, Momo had wheeled in a full length mirror.

Tooru rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Yeah, good call Yaomomo-chan! I'm just so excited, and I'm glad I get to do this with all of you here!" the girl exclaimed. She put one of the bracelets on, then stopped for a second. "You guys promise you won't laugh at my hair or anything, right? I can't exactly get it nice or-"

"You're fucking majestic, Bright Eyes. Shutting off your quirk so we can appreciate it properly won't change that," a certain explosive teenager snapped, not liking his friend being down on herself, and unintentionally getting the attention of an alien queen. The Admiral has found a new ship.

The invisible girl shut her eyes and put the other bracelet on. In a shimmer of light, the girl appeared, no longer invisible. Long red hair, nearly fuschia, with streaks of black, ran down her back, messy since invisible hair was more difficult to tame than the visible variety. Pale skin with freckles dotting it here and there, some on the girl's cheeks, emerged from the girl's clothes. Realizing she hadn't opened her eyes yet, Katsuki shook himself out of his momentary stupor (where did that come from?) and flicked his classmate in the forehead.

The girl let out a squeak and opened her eyes. Her bright pink eyes. "Huh. Wasn't expecting bright pink. Take a good look at yourself, Bright Eyes," the aggressive befriender said as he grabbed her head with both hands and turned it to the mirror.

"I'm pretty. I knew I was pretty figure-wise, but...Wow. I need a minute," the girl said as she squirmed out of Katsuki's grip and went into another room. Everybody heard a squeal of joy a minute or so later.

Mina sidled up next to Katsuki and elbowed him with a smirk. "So, you and Tooru-chan, huh?" the pink-skinned girl said conspiratorially.

"Oh, shut up. You were holding hands with Kirishima in public. Fucking perverts," the human hand grenade retorted with a menacing snarl, smirking as the pinkette retreated back with a blush. "Don't dish it out if you can't take it yourself. Friggin' moron."

Deciding to find a different target, the acid-slinger made her way over to the one confirmed couple in their class. "Soooo, Midoriya-chan, Ochako-chan, you two go out on a date yet?" Mina teased.

Izuku panicked a little and made a shh-ing motion with his finger. "If you get me excited about it, I won't be able to keep my idea to myself! I can't surprise her if I get worked up and spill the beans early!" the verdette whined softly, doing his damndest not to think about the date idea he had in mind. Then, he abruptly realized something. "Hold on a second. I need to check something on my phone," he said, then moved over to the corner of the room and checked weather conditions. With a grin, he returned.

"What were you looking at over there, Izuku-kun?" Ochako asked with a smile.

"Just something that told me tonight would be fine for our date, if you're able to stop by my place for a few hours," he explained with a nervous smile.

The brunette put a finger to her chin in thought. "It's a weekend, so it should be okay. Is there anything I should bring?" she asked.

Izuku tapped his fingers together. "Warm clothes. It'll probably be chilly, what I've got in mind, even with the precautions I've thought of," he replied softly.

Ochako looked down with a furrow in her brow. "Can I bring what my ma had me bring back with me?" she asked.

Izuku tilted his head. "I don't see why not, as long as you can put a coat over it. I...I'm kinda really looking forward to seeing how you look," he replied with a silly grin on his face.

Mina, who had allowed the two lovebirds to converse uninterrupted until this point reminded them that there was a shipper on deck. "You two had better take pics, or I'm gonna be pissed!" she exclaimed as she flung her fists up and down.

Ochako grabbed her suddenly weightless friend and picked her up and over her head. "You hush, Green Tea Fanclub President!" she roared, then flipped their gravity upside down and pinned the pinkette against the ceiling, getting some oohs and aahs from their classmates. Izuku's notebook made an appearance as he started jotting down tactics for close quarters combat on walls and ceilings.

All in all, a productive and fun study session. Dark Shadow even got trounced in Mario Kart by Momo. Turns out she was a pro this whole time.

At Dusk, At The Midoriya Residence

Ochako arrived, a coat over her shoulder, wearing a tuxedo that had been passed down in her mother's family for generations. Coming from a long line of tomboys, while she was pretty in a dress, for something special like this, she wore a more masculine tuxedo and a pair of dress pants, that had been worn by her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother before her on their first dates. She knew that Izuku knew what she'd be wearing, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't know how it looked _on_ her.

Needless to say, he was impressed. "It looks, and pardon the pun, smashing," the verdette said with a silly grin.

The brunette decided to tease her date. "No 'smashing' until we're older, okay buddy?" she replied smugly. Ochako was satisfied at the odd sounds emerging from her partner's mouth, along with the odd faces he made as he realized how badly he'd been bamboozled.

As for Izuku, he wore a suit and tie, with a jacket over top. He held the door open for his date with his not-quirk, the girl calling him a showoff with a giggle. They entered the house and Inko couldn't stop crying, joy overtaking her.

"My baby boy's finally going on his first date! Oh, I still remember when you were a little toddler begging me to play youtube videos for you!" the Midoriya mother wailed as she took pictures of the couple.

The freckled empath smiled nervously at his mother. "Easy, Mom! You're gonna get me started!" he exclaimed, doing his best to keep the woman calm, even with the butterflies in his stomach.

Deciding to save her date from potentially springing his own eye leaks, Ochako butted in. "So, where are we going? I don't get why we'd need coats, since it's summer and all, so are we using your hyperlane jump to go somewhere that happens to be chilly?" the bright hearted girl asked.

Izuku shook his head. "No, we aren't going somewhere with my hyperlanes. Come out back with me," the red-shoed boy explained.

Upon getting into the backyard, Ochako noticed something oddly familiar. A picnic blanket, a basket that smelled like it had some delectable snacks in it, and a couple of portable heaters. "Um, Izuku-kun, what are the heaters _and_ the jackets for if we aren't going somewhere cold?" the brunette asked with mild concern.

Izuku grinned brightly. "We are going somewhere cold, just not with my hyperlanes. Have a seat on the picnic blanket. We'll get going right away," the freckled boy said excitedly.

The two took a seat, and suddenly, a shimmering of green barrier walls appeared around them, and above them. Ochako soon realized they were in a barrier box of sorts, one that began ascending rapidly. Izuku flipped on the heaters, and gestured for Ochako to put her coat on. "Check inside the basket. I...think you'll like what's in there," the boy said, clearly having trouble suppressing his excitement.

Ochako was about to take him up on his offer, when she realized something. "Izuku-kun, how high up are we going?" she asked hesitantly.

A surprisingly confident grin appeared on the boy's face as he gazed skyward. "High enough that we escape a bit of the light pollution in the area, but low enough to be safe. We're gonna do some stargazing,"

His heart soared with them when he saw the sparkle in his girlfriend's eyes. Suddenly a lot less nervous, the brunette opened the picnic basket. "MOCHI?! THIS IS HOMEMADE?! WHAT THE HECK, IZUKU-KUN?!" she asked, taking a big bite out of one of them and moaning with delight.

The boy poked his fingers together nervously. "I'll probably be able to make them better with more practice, but I figured you'd like it if I learned how," the boy explained with a soft smile.

"Excuse my Bakugou, but THESE ARE FUCKING SCRUMPTIOUS!" the girl exclaimed as she shoved one into his hands. "Have you tried one yet? Wait, of course you have, you made 'em! EAT IT! So gooooood! Wait…" the girl got a look in her eyes, making the boy nervous momentarily. "Is this green tea flavored? You're so CORNY! You made the flavor Mina-chan named our 'ship' after! Izuku-kun, you goof! I don't know how I'll ever top this!"

A thought flitted through Izuku's mind, and Ochako managed to figure out how she'd thank him. Not now, though. It'd be bad if he fainted all the way up here. Instead, she was gonna teach him some basic astronomy. "Hey, you wanna know some astronomy that could save your life someday, Izuku-kun?" the girl asked bashfully. Her boyfriend nodded eagerly.

"You see those seven stars there, that make an upside down pan? That's the Big Dipper. Just a bit below that is the Little Dipper. If you can find either of them, you can find Polaris, the North Star, on the tip of the Little Dipper's handle. It's called that 'cuz it always points North. If you're lookin' at it, you're looking North."

The greenette nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I remember learning about this in class a couple years ago. People have used that star for millennia to guide their way in the northern hemisphere! Thanks, Uraraka-chan!" the greenette exclaimed, then got a pensive look on his face. "Do you think...Do you think someday, we can be somebody's Northern Star?"

Ochako smiled gently and wrapped her arms around the boy. "You wanna rescue people who're hurtin', huh? You're really gonna be a great hero someday, Izuku-kun," the rosy-cheeked girl said softly as she held her crush close.

The boy nodded, and the two enjoyed their closeness. This pair of binary stars would light the way for many who were hurting in the decades to come. For now, though, rest well and enjoy life, young heroes.


	21. Chapter 21

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-one_

A/N: Thanks once more to all my readers and whatnot, as well as my editors! Some good news on the Covid 19 front: New Zealand has beaten it! Don't let up! Keep socially distancing and taking preventative measures, and we'll beat this thing eventually! We killed smallpox, we can win against this, too! (Note, this chapter was written at least a week ago, and so was the A/N. I don't know off the top of my head if New Zealand is still Covid 19-free, but I desperately hope it is. Be safe and healthy, and wear a mask in public!)

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOOTOOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

The Following Wednesday

The class let out a collective sigh of relief. The written portion of their exams was finally over. Two and a half days of paper, paper, and more paper!

"Wheeyyy…" the stun gun hero groaned softly, causing his surrounding classmates to chuckle a little. Kyoka rolled her eyes and handed the boy a couple pieces of dark chocolate to help Chargebolt return from Jamming Whey mode. "Kyokalate...wheeeeyyyy," the drained battery of a student said tiredly, combining his classmate's name with the food she'd just handed him as he took it from her hand and put it in his mouth. A tiny squee was heard from a certain alien queen.

The dark-haired girl blushed intensely and turned to look at Izuku. 'He doesn't...like me or some weird crap, right?' she asked with a slight frown.

The younger of the two class empaths frowned. 'You know I wouldn't tell you if he did unless he wanted me to. You'll have to ask him yourself. I will tell you that he only recognizes a few of us in this state, and you're one of the people he recognizes,' the verdette explained, causing another tiny squee from Mina, who'd been eavesdropping. Then, with a tiny smile, Izuku added, _"He wouldn't be upset if you told him, I'll say that much. Trust me, you shouldn't be afraid of things like that. Your adoration for him is beautiful, and you shouldn't hide it for too long."_

Earphone Jack scowled with a blush as she turned away. _"I'm kicking your ass in practice for that later, but...Thanks,"_ the violette replied as she shoved a bit more chocolate towards her blond seat-mate.

In the meantime, Aizawa had gathered everybody's papers. "Okay, problem children. Get out of my classroom, change into your costumes, and head over to Heroics."

"Wheeey ahead of yooooouuu," Kaminari said as he was picked up by Izuku, who didn't want him getting lost while in his dumbed down mode _again,_ and carried out of the classroom like a sack of potatoes..

Later, In The Changing Rooms

The students took advantage of the ability to socialize between rooms granted by the presence of Izuku, as usual. At the moment, a recently-recovered Denki had a question.

_"So, Himiko-san. You've obviously got a cover story quirk and an _actual _quirk. Mind explaining that to me?"_ the blond asked nonchalantly.

Jirou scowled. _"You blockhead! Don't ask her about sensitive crap like that! You know she's shy!"_ the rock 'n roller scolded.

From nearby, Himiko giggled. _"Don't be mad at him. He's legitimately curious. It's refreshing to be asked that without any ulterior motives behind the question. My cover quirk, as you call it, is just called Cyber Newtype. We're relying on the amount of red tape surrounding its details to prevent invasive questions from the press, along with Meimei's...unorthodox methods of dealing with the more persistent members of the media,"_ the girl explained with a fond smile.

With a guffaw, Rikido then quoted the Hatsume genius at a recent interview. "HE HAS SELECTED THE BEES!" he exclaimed loudly, getting laughs from everybody else. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition, but the same can be said about bee bots with tiny laser stingers.

With a bit of hesitance, the Newtype Hero continued. _"My _actual_ quirk is a bit of a hassle. I told you guys how Izuku-kun and I experience emotions more potently than most humans, well, my quirk only makes that a bit worse. Basically, if I ingest somebody's blood, I can take their form. Their quirk is off limits unless it's a mutation-type, though. When I take these bracelets off, I get a bit of bloodthirst, along with heightened emotions, whether I'm actively using my quirk or not. I can have them off for about half a week before I become dangerous to myself and others, so I just keep them on if I don't need my quirk._

_"Speaking of heightened emotions, Meimei and I finally figured out what happened with you at the Sports Festival, Izuku-kun,"_ the cat-eyed woman said, turning her head to look at Ochako. _"You and Ochako-san suffered a feedback loop, basically. You were both upset over the same thing for a long time without properly communicating it to one another. Your sadness fed hers, and hers fed yours, in an endless loop. Ao-kun decided to break it, since he cares about you, but next time you notice thoughts or feelings bothering you more than they should, discuss them with Ochako-san. Same goes for you, by the way. The Bond is a two-way street, after all."_

Izuku rubbed his hair self-consciously, remembering the strands of grey hair his girlfriend had mentioned spotting. Deciding to focus on happier things, he popped Uravity a question. _"How does the new costume feel, Uravity-san? The armored bits aren't weighing you down at all, are they?"_ he asked with a grin.

With a snap, the gravity manipulator encased her legs in armored boots that travelled nearly all the way up to her knees. _"Who do you think you're asking that? _Nothing_ weighs Uravity down, Cobalt-kun!"_ the brunette replied with a grin. Gone was the extra layer of costume, now replaced with bits of armor infused with Izuku's green aura covering her combat unitard, much like her new boots. The handles on her wristbands had also taken a hike, the girl deciding to take advantage of her ability to use Izuku's green aura without limit instead, for tethering civilians in need of rescue. A line of transparent teal had been added to her visor, acting as a tiny HUD that could relay useful information.

From nearby, Mina and Tooru grinned, giving each other a smirk. _"So, I see you've got some of your boyfriend's colors on your suit now, huh, Ochako-chan?"_ the xeno monarch teased.

_"She isn't the only one, Ashido! Midoriya's got a couple pink stripes on his gloves! Badass!"_ the manliest one in the mens' changing room exclaimed.

Uravity rolled her eyes with a little smirk. _"Yeah, yeah, post aaaall about it on that fanclub of yours, Mina-chan. Izuku-kun and I will get back at you for that someday,"_ the brunette replied dryly.

Suited up, the heroes-to-be headed out, ready to take their exams.

Later, In A Downtown-Themed Training Ground

Cobalt furrowed his brows in determination. He had been blessed with the perfect partner for this fight, however, he'd also been cursed with one of the most powerful opponents. That wasn't all, though. He could _feel_ his mentor's desire, the raw _need_ to see how far he and Uravity had come in their training.

All Might needed this fight just as much as the two of them did. His forced retirement was fast approaching, and it would be up to the next generation of heroes to pick up the slack. His talk with him about the issues caused by his insistence on heroing as hard as he had had been an awkward one, but Toshinori accepted that he was wrong, even if his heart was in the right place. Cobalt would not be the same as All Might, even if he intended to be number one regardless. It would be necessary to help his fellow heroes become powerful in their own right by not nurturing a dependence on him.

The world couldn't have a symbol propping it up like a single pillar. No, it needed, _deserved,_ a proper foundation of many heroes.

From next to him, Uravity looked at her partner with a fond smile. "You're taller than me now, Izuku-kun," the girl noted with a toothy grin, then looked in the direction All Might was certainly in, and, understanding what Izuku and his mentor needed done, said, "I'll let you two muscle heads have at it."

"No."

Uravity turned to her boyfriend, who looked at her with a smile. "I'll be doing the brunt work, but we're both gonna be fighting. We're doing this Plus Ultra. We won't be escaping," he said with a confident grin, handing the cuffs to her as Unit 0 landed nearby, its shields moving to float around her instead. "We're gonna win here. Do you consent to synchronizing?"

Ochako pulled her boyfriend's glove off herself. "Hell yeah. Let's do this," she said with a grin, then pulled the boy's face closer and gave him a peck on the cheek. "For luck, and because you're too darn cute."

With a blush, Izuku pecked his girlfriend on the cheek as well. "You're...too darn cute, too, Ochako-chan," the boy said softly, getting the two of them rosy-cheeked over the decision to call her by a more intimate name.

And so, the two of them synced.

With All Might

Toshinori grinned. He could feel it in his gut. His students were going to absolutely amaze him. The real question is how. Deciding to test the waters, he threw a Detroit Smash down the main road, hearing and seeing an explosion of dust seconds later.

He was pleased when his attack was followed by another Detroit Smash, but from his protege, instead of him! All Might stood his ground as the air pressure pushed against him, nearly uprooting him once or twice. A rapid thudding was heard, and Izuku, no, _Cobalt,_ was there! His running was a bit off-kilter, but he was adjusting quickly. The running that had destroyed his legs before now was nothing, due to his armor, but there was still work to be done. **"Cobalt! I shall defeat you, hero! For I am extremely evil!"** the number one hero hammed it up, rushing forward and meeting the student's punch with one of his own. The fronts of the buildings on either side of the road caved in a little, hit by the shockwave. Both heroes stood firm, grinning at their bro fist even as they moved to continue the fight.

Blow after fearsome blow slammed into the two, and soon Cobalt found himself flung into a building across the way, the teen within the armor grateful that the helmet was designed to cushion his head in such instances. He got up and swung a desk at his rapidly approaching instructor, sending the pro back outside, getting a look of surprise from the man before he let out a bellowing laughter. **"I'll have to kick things up a notch, young Midoriya! After all, I can't afford to allow your teammate to make it to the exit, can I?"**

The giant of a man lifted a portion of the road, and smashed it to pieces, quickly flinging the smaller chunks of concrete at Izuku, _as well as the support pillars for the building he was currently inside!_

Cobalt quickly formed a sphere of hexagonal shields around him, and he waited, knowing that it wouldn't be long before his partner adjusted the plan and acted accordingly. After all, they were a hive mind at the moment. From atop a nearby building, Uravity grinned. "GET SOOOOOME!" she exclaimed, miniguns that had recently been installed under the shields that currently floated around her opening fire, launching pellets of green aura at her opponent. All Might dodged towards the exit, but that wasn't going to stop them. "Dodge this!" the girl exclaimed as a few of the shield bits chopped the load bearing columns of the building she stood upon in half, causing the entire structure to tumble onto the pro below.

**"Do you really think this can stop me, young Uraraka?"** the musclehead exclaimed with a grin born of both pride and excitement, rearing his fist back, only to find his body slowed down drastically, feeling like it was moving through deep water. He found himself surrounded by green aura, which led to the rubble Cobalt had been buried beneath, the armored hero having escaped in the confusion. All Might braced himself for the impact that would doubtlessly take a bit to dig himself out of, only to gape in surprise as the building suddenly fell into the sky, not to return to the earth below again. The hero could only grin as he was decked in the schnozz by his protege, and placed in a hold that was surprisingly sturdy.

"G-Force Combo Attack: Binary Star Smash!" the teens exclaimed as one, and All Might found himself eternally grateful Uravity's boots didn't have heels on them, for the two students found their gravity pulling one another together as Uraraka's boots met Yagi's gut, the girl then whipping out the cuffs she'd had on her and attaching one to his wrist and another to hers.

"Team G-Force passes! I can call them that, right Shota? Oh, you're no fun! Uravity and Cobalt pass! YEEEEAAAAH!"

All Might grinned, despite his sore side. **"You darn kids make me so proud! I'm not even mad that you went for that blow to my gut! Good fight, young Midoriya, young Uraraka!"** the hamtastic hero exclaimed as he pulled the two into a hug, one kid in each arm, then tossed the two of them onto his shoulders and walked back to the testing booth, his proud grin never once vanishing from his face, as the two kids just accepted the ride back, silly smiles one them as well.

From inside the booth, however, Shota frowned a bit. _'Buildings were tossed around, so we know he wasn't holding back too much, so how did those two stop All Might? Either the big guy's getting weaker in his old age, or those two have gotten a lot stronger. I hope, for the world's sake, it's the latter,'_ 1-A's homeroom teacher pondered worriedly.

Nezu grinned next to him, knowing enough to be relieved by what he just saw instead of concerned. "Next up, we have Kacchan and The Friendly Ghost vs. Gentleman and Lady Love! Lady Love, feel free to use your quirk. We've hired a bit of extra security today, so there's no need to hold back in that regard!" the mouse/bear/honey badger hybrid announced gleefully.

Aiba and Danjuro smiled at one another and bowed low to their boss. "Thank you so very much, Nezu-san. We appreciate your kindness," Gentleman said with a kind smile.

"For legal reasons, I have to remind you two that causing either of these two serious harm will add to your probation. As your friend and colleague, though, I simply say, have a good time letting loose!" the non-human hero exclaimed, then turned to Tooru and Katsuki and added, "You enjoy a challenge, so I got you one. Do not be afraid to let loose, you two. The power of Love is formidable!"

Katsuki smirked, and next to him, Tooru giggled. "Considering what I've seen so far, I believe it. FIRST MATE BRIGHT EYES! LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE FUCKING ROAD!" the angriest one in the room roared, then headed outside as his teammate jumped onto his back, and the two of them flew off to one of the testing areas.

Seconds later, they were shouting in embarrassment when they were told their testing site was the other way.

Minutes Later, At The Correct Testing Site

Kacchan smirked as he slammed his fist into his palm. "Got the plan, Bright Eyes?" he asked just to make sure one more time.

The red head beside him nodded with a grin. "Going ghost!" she exclaimed before vanishing from view, the bright colors of her costume replaced with nothingness. Katsuki smirked and fist bumped his invisible teammate before she skedaddled.

A thoughtful look appeared on the face of the grinning grenadier. "Now, if I were a goddamn pair of lovely, charming, former villains, where would I be in this situation?" he wondered out loud, before looking up above the main road to find his answer. **"UP IN THE FUCKING SKY, APPARENTLY!"**

"Prepare for trouble, heroes!"

"Make it double!"

"For the remainder of this test, we are no longer heroes!"

"I am the mustachioed Gentle Criminal!"

"I am the lovely La Brava!"

**"CLASS IS IN SESSION, STUDENTS!"**

The happy couple descended from the sky, landing right in front of Katsuki with a pair of smirks. "Gentle Trampoline!" the hamtastic villain history teacher exclaimed, launching the test-taker in front of them into the sky, where they followed, La Brava hitching a ride on her husband's back.

The trio engaged in an intense melee in the sky, aided by their quirks, and in the case of La Brava, a few handy tools she seemingly pulled from hammer space (the baggy pants on both heroes were more than just for show). It didn't take Katsuki long to realize that the two of them were better in the air than he was, and so, he dropped to the ground, hoping his partner was ready to back him up. The two cheesetastic teachers descended with him, laughing with utter delight. As the two landed a distance away, having pulled out reinforced umbrellas of all things to slow their descent, Gentle Criminal smiled softly at his wife. "Honey, I believe it's time we wrapped this up. We can't allow for the gate to remain unguarded for too long, after all," he said tenderly..

La Brava nodded with a happy look in her eyes, as the two clasped their hands and gazed lovingly at one another and spoke three beautiful words.

**"I love you."**

The Blast Hero was flung back by the force of the energy coming off his two opponents, one of his gauntlets coming loose as he tumbled back. As he came to a stop and got to his feet, he found his opponents already in front of him, hand in hand, gazing menacingly at him, with an incredible aura of pink surrounding them both.

"Apologies, young hero. This is where our magnificent fight must end," Danjuro said icilly, then backhanded the student even further from his gauntlet. The two followed him, unclasping their hands and appearing surprisingly ominous as they approached. Neither saw the gauntlet rise on its own, an invisible arm becoming attached to the weapon.

Katsuki smirked as he rose, then gasped when the shorter of the two teachers vanished from sight, suddenly forcing Tooru to her level and placing her in a hold. The mustachioed former villain smirked. "Surely, you didn't think the pair of us would fall for such trivial tactics, Bakugou-kun?" Gentle Criminal asked with a sad smile on his face.

The ash blond smiled softly. "Yeah, you're right. The two of you have been a huge fucking inspiration to me for a while, you know. You're both proof that somebody can come back from a major fuckup and make things right. It's obvious you wouldn't fall for something like this, with hearts and minds as strong as yours. I'm really in a bind here. **OR SO YOU'D THINK! BRIGHT EYES! DO THE THING!"**

Unseen, The Friendly Ghost nodded. "GOT IT! GHASTLY BLAST COMBO!"

**"FLASH BANG!"**

A low powered but bright explosion popped off of one of Katsuki's arms, aimed near his teammate, who refracted the light and blinded all but herself and the blast hero, who covered his eyes with his other arm. Gentle Criminal had spun to be able to properly react to an attack from behind, only to find he should have remained still. In seconds, the married couple were bound in matrimony AND a pair of handcuffs. Even with their impaired vision, the two recognized their situation and held hands, smiling in the perceived direction of their students. "Bravo, you two! Thank you for such an excellent fight. Your teamwork is impeccable!" Gentleman said with genuine pride.

"Thanks for the kind words, too. I'm glad my husband and I were able to inspire you, Bakugou-san. We should do this again sometime," the loving dwarf said as she leaped up to sit upon her husband's shoulder, the two having released themselves from their cuffs.

Tooru grinned, coming out of stealth mode. "Yeah, that was fun. Let's get going, though! I wanna see the next match!" she exclaimed as she leaped onto her red-eyed friend, who gave a half-hearted sound of protest as he ran off back to the testing booth.

As they made their way, the human armory looked up at his friend. "Y'know, if we keep doing crap like this, people are gonna think we're a fuckin' item," he commented cautiously.

The freckled stealth expert grinned. "Honestly, I'm okay with that. Are you okay with that?" Hagakure asked curiously.

Katsuki grinned. "Two badass, beautiful bitches, in a healthy, happy relationship? Sign me the fuck up. Let's go hold hands in front of the others later. Ashido's gonna absolutely lose her shit!" he exclaimed with a bark of laughter, then launched the two of them the rest of the way with his quirk.

Upon arriving, however, they found they were too late to see the next match. "I blinked and it was over!" Izuku gasped in awe.

Nezu nodded solemnly. "It appears we have more evidence for reevaluating our entrance exams. For Shinso-san to be this good and nearly fall through the cracks, that is an inexcusable failure on our parts," the person of unusual species lamented.

"What the fuck happened? How hard did his team win?" the friendly firebrand asked, moving over to his childhood friend.

Izuku took a second to get his thoughts together. "From what I can tell, after getting behind separate boulders for cover, Shinso-kun perfectly mimicked Sero-san's voice and threw it so it sounded like it was coming from Sero's boulder. Midnight-sensei responded, and, well, the results speak for themselves," the greenette explained.

Kacchan blinked owlishly for a second. "Dude, that's OP as fuck," he said in awe, then grabbed his new girlfriend's hand and asked with a smirk, "Wanna go on a double date sometime, nerd? We can hit up the arcade, brag about how badass our girlfriends are, that kind of crap. Sound like a good time?"

Izuku smiled with joy, and Ochako leaped with glee, nearly smacking her head on the ceiling before her boyfriend pulled her back down. "Tooru-chan! I'm so happy for you! Oh, I hope we can find someplace with good deals nearby for a double date!" the gravity manipulator exclaimed.

On the other side of the room, Mina was practically vibrating in excitement. Next to her, the redheaded man of hardening grinned. "Looks like another one of your ships is setting sail, Admiral," he teased with a friendly slap to the girl's back.

The horned hero just giggled. "I'm really happy we've got some happy couples in the class. It's happening kinda fast, but I think I get why," she said with a thoughtful look. "Midoriya-kun is kind of a social bridge that makes it easier to interact with each other. When we chat through him, so much more is conveyed than normal, so we just get closer to one another more quickly. It's really nice. Even Koda-kun has been opening up more lately!"

Kirishima grinned and grabbed his horn buddy's hand. "I'll have to thank that badass later, then. We might have been waiting a bit longer for _us_ to happen, otherwise," he said fondly, his girlfriend reaching up and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

Himiko stepped forward. "If you're all done being adorable, I've got Pinky and Chargebolt. You two, come with me," she announced with a grin that honestly scared the two teens a bit.

**"Oh, Ko-chan! Don't take your frustrations out on them just because your boyfriend's on a high-priority mission for a few weeks!"** Hatsume's voice said from the PA system, the girl having hacked it _again._

"DON'T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE, MEIMEI! I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!"

**"Awesome! My parents would love to have you over again! They've been asking me how you're doing, you know!"**

The genetically modified pro facepalmed. "I can't stay mad at her. She genuinely cares about me, and she's just so damn friendly," she said before putting her helmet on and calling her power armor. "Okay. Exam. Chargebolt, Pinky, with me."

Several Minutes Later

The two test-takers walked cautiously in the direction of the exit. An ominous feeling pressed down on them as they sneaked through the industrial-themed training ground. Goosebumps crawled down their arms, as through the silence, they knew for certain that they were being watched.

Marida had given them the caveat that upon uncloaking, she would not recloak, since it was unfair to fight the two of them like that. Cobalt had advised them that their best bet was escape, and that they'd have to think outside the box to win, but he refrained from elaborating on what his best tactical advice would be, since this was an exam, and they're supposed to figure things out themselves here.

Something fell to the ground nearby. Pinky and Chargebolt whirled around, frightened by the sound. A mouse scurried out of a bucket it had knocked over. The two examinees breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around to see Himiko's power armor looming over them, the pink mono-eye activating with an ominous sound.

"AAAAAAHHHH!" the pair screamed as they flung their quirks at Kshatriya, which stumbled for a second before the two were batted away by a red beam sword that emerged from one of the machine's four wings.

**"Thanks for the acid wash, heroes. Kshatriya can get some really clingy muck on it sometimes,"** the blond within said, the predatory grin on her face felt despite being unseen. Then, another three beam swords ignited from arms under the other three wings, and a pair emerged from the suit's primary arms. **"I've been trained in your jedi arts by Count Dooku. Now, attack, heroes!"**

Denki's eyes widened comically. "SIX LIGHTSABERS?! We're screwed!" he exclaimed before he was dragged off by Pinky.

"Come with me if you want to live!" she screamed as the two of them fled into a nearby building, Marida laughing maniacally before she found a minor problem. Her armor couldn't fit through the doors. With a sigh, she started working on cutting through the wall, making the entrance more power armor friendly.

Two Minutes Later

The pinkette panicked. The plan had been going so well, and they were almost done, but then their pursuer had spotted her melting some of the support beams and was about to deliver the finishing blow, Pinky on the ground and in a bit of pain from the walloping she'd gotten from the lightsabers, which were thankfully blunt and not lethal. Just as the final blow was about to come down, Chargebolt leaped between them, blocking the blow with a pipe he'd electrified.

**"Brave of you boy, but foolish. I thought you would have learned your lesson,"** the girl once known as Aureck said smugly.

Denki looked the woman in the monoeye. "I _am_ a slow learner," he responded simply before the two of them started fighting one another with their weapons.

Before long, Mina finished her task. "CHARGEBOLT! WINDOW! NOW!" she screamed as the building started coming down on them.

The two teens leaped out a window they'd opened prior as the building came down around Marida, who telepathically roared, _"You kids better hope I don't get out before you win, or you're gonna get it!"_

Pinky and Chargebolt barely made it to the exit, winning mere seconds before Marida broke free of the remains of the building that had been dropped on her.

A Little Over An Hour Later

The students of 1-A breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that even those amongst them who failed would be going to the summer training camp. Red Riot and Sugarman, being the only two to fail, were incredibly glad they'd be able to hang out with their friends, even if they'd need to take some remedial classes.

The students and teachers were confident it would be a productive endeavor.

In A Pub On The Seedier Side Of Kamino

Shigaraki Tomura grinned evilly. "Game Over, heroes. You won't be getting any continues this time," the villain said menacingly as he stood with the newly formed Vanguard Action Squad.


	22. Chapter 22

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-two_

A/N: Continued thanks to my editors, readers, friends, and family. You guys make me smile!

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOTOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

On A Bus En Route To The Summer Training Camp

Himiko gazed out the window, a soft smile on her face. _"I'll see you soon, you lovable bastard,"_ she said softly to her partner, an image of him grinning and giving a thumbs up appearing in her mind as he responded.

"Hey, Himiko-chan, kero?"

"Yeah, Tsu-chan?"

"How did you meet Mei-chan? It sounds like you've known her a very long time, kero."

Himiko grinned at her amphibious friend. "That's a fun story. I think I'll tell it to any of you willing to listen," she said, then started speaking telepathically. _"Hey, Tsu-chan asked about how I met Meimei. It's a funny story, so do you guys wanna hear it?"_

Feelings of assent made their way through the link, everybody stopping what they were doing to listen. Himiko smiled fondly. _"So, I'd just recently escaped from where Ao-chan and I were held. I was pretty down in the dumps, and didn't want to interact with anybody whatsoever, since Ao-chan had decided to hide in his own brain. However, a girl needs to eat, so I took to breaking into people's homes and raiding their pantries. Our story begins during one of these pantry raids"_

Around A Decade Prior

Alpha scowled in frustration as she used her limited telekinetic powers to unlock the door before her. Despite looking like all the other homes in this neighborhood, this house seemed to have a more complex lock. No matter, though. Just meant a bit more work, and she wanted to know the ins and outs of the area she was hiding, hence her decision to break into each of the homes at least once to get a look at the inside.

Soon, she was in. One of the first things she noticed were some ambient lights, not too bright, but bright enough to allow her to find her way in the dark of night. Also, posters and figurines of some robot-looking things in various places, along with several miscellaneous devices torn apart and seemingly frankensteined back together to make entirely new things. _'Somebody here's a tinkerer,'_ the girl thought to herself. _'Not important. Gotta find dinner.'_

The hungry girl continued on, shivering in the too-large shirt she'd stolen two nights ago. Before long, she found her target. "Bingo," she said softly, then opened up a box of cookies. So sue her, she likes sweet things, and her creator wasn't exactly nice about feeding her and her siblings properly.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the pitter patter of tiny feet, forgetting for a moment that she couldn't be perceived as she currently was by people. The pink-haired tyke had an odd pair of goggles on as she walked into the room, making her way to the fridge. Himiko sat incredibly still as she watched the girl open the kitchen appliance and remove a packet of chocolate milk, then another. _'Why two? Guess she's just thirsty,'_ the escapee wondered to herself before going back to her cookies. She was startled a minute or so later when she heard the sound of a straw being sucked on right behind her, and saw the second packet of chocolate milk being handed to her from over her shoulder.

"Cookies need milk. Have some," the pinkette said simply as she sat down next to the person perusing her pantry.

Alpha blinked, and upon sensing no ill will from the child next to her, accepted the chocolate milk, sipping from it after fumbling with the straw. "Those goggles are real then, huh?" the blond asked hesitantly.

"What? Sorry, I can only see you right now, Neechan. I can't hear you. Do you want me to get some pen and paper?"

Undoing her stealth aura, Alpha smiled. "You're a funny kid. What's your name?" she asked, allowing the girl to perceive her normally.

"I'm Hatsume Mei. My friends call me Meimei. Or they would, if I had any. The other kids think I'm weird, so they pick on me," the girl said as she removed her goggles and revealed a pair of yellow eyes.

Alpha sensed the girl's desire to become her friend, and was touched. _'This kid wants _me_ to be her friend? What is it I'm sensing in her heart? She's sad, but...she doesn't hate her tormentors...This girl must be special, to have so little spite,'_ the cat-eyed girl thought, then smiled softly and said, "I'll be your friend, if you want, Meimei. I don't have any friends right now, either."

The tiny tinkerer nodded. "I know. The heroes and police are looking for you, you know. They're all worried about you. A really awesome pro even wants to adopt you. The Youthful Hero, Recovery Girl. She's a doctor, and that's awesome," the girl said, then turned to the survivor of horrors beyond horrors and asked, "What's your name? I need to know your name if you're gonna be my friend."

The blond scowled. "I don't have one of those. My designation is Project Alpha. There were a lot of us, Alpha through Zeta, but now that Zeta decided he doesn't want to stick around, and the others have been killed, I'm the only one left," the girl lamented, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

Mei frowned, then hugged the girl next to her, and placed her goggles back on. "Goggle, search for names for a girl," she said, then asked, "You do identify as a girl, right?"

Alpha nodded numbly, not really knowing where the girl was going with this. Soon, Mei took the goggles off, and offered them to her. "Here are some suggestions for you. Pick one," the pinkette said with a smile so innocent and happy, the blond began feeling her heart squeezing. She took the goggles, and read through the different names. It didn't take long for one to catch her eye.

"Himiko. My name is Himiko," she said softly, removing the goggles and returning them to the girl sitting next to her.

Mei nodded. "The police already know you're here. They're gonna help you, Ko-chan, but when you're done with all that, could you come back sometime and play with me?" she asked softly, feeling bad that her home's security system had outed her new friend like that.

Himiko nodded, and wrapped the pinkette in a hug. Her goodness was infectious. "Yeah. You'll have to tell me about all these robots you've got lying around later, Meimei," she said with a giggle.

Mei put her hands on her hips. "Its name is Gundam!" she replied with a toothy grin.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Back On The Bus

_"And that's how I met Meimei _and_ got my name. She put me in a good enough mood to allow the police to escort me to the station. The people of that neighborhood decided not to charge me with anything, and I got adopted,"_ Himiko explained softly. She freely shared the feelings and story with Mei herself.

**"Awww, you remembered my very first babies!"** the girl exclaimed over the bus's radio, reminding everybody there that she was constantly hacking U.A.'s system. Nezu stopped trying to stop her when he realized she was acting as incredibly effective cybersecurity, the girl having thwarted several hacking attempts while attending classes.

"I remember the extendo-puncher! That was a crazy day!" Himiko laughed loudly.

**"More for the mime than anybody, Ko-chan. Fun times, though!"** the girl exclaimed, before a bit of interference was heard, and she added, **"Gotta go. Power Loader-sensei noticed I'm not paying attention again."**

Several of the students chuckled at the exchange, before Koji cried out in dismay, "Midoriya-kun! You have grey hairs!"

Several of the other students nearby zeroed in on the verdette's head. Ochako sighed in exasperation. "Yeah, he's had a couple since the incident with Tsubasa-san. I've been trying to help him feel less stressed out, but I don't think they'll stop coming at this point," the brunette acknowledged regretfully.

Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "Izuku. You'd better not be doing anything stupid like taking some of our stress and experiencing it in our stead," the ash blond growled. A few people looked at him funny. "What? You know he'd fucking do it, and for all we know, that's part of his skillset!"

Looks of suspicion suddenly landed on the red-shoed boy, who looked a bit offended. "I'm not doing that! I can get the same results without the stress by spreading feelings of happiness! Tsubasa's death was just...really hard...I felt him die…" the boy said softly.

From nearby, Mina narrowed her eyes. "Ochako-chan. Hug that cinnamon roll and give him head pats. We're doing a group hug with him in the center when we get to the camp, got it?" the pinkette said sternly, leaving no room for compromise. Nobody dared disagree. The cinnamon roll would be adored.

Uravity smirked. "Better idea," she said softly, then gently pulled Izuku's head into her lap. She smiled down at him and began running her fingers through his hair, causing the boy to make a tiny noise of contentment as he focused on the adoration of his partner. The brunette began humming a tune from his childhood that his mother had sung for him on the tougher days.

"You know Might+U?" he mumbled sleepily, not used to such comfort.

A padded fingertip poked his cheek. "Shared memories, remember?" she said softly before going back to humming. The green-haired empath soon fell asleep, feelings of comfort and safety lulling him into the arms of Morpheus.

Half An Hour Later

Izuku was rudely awoken from his nap when he sensed panic in the hearts of his friends, and opened his eyes to find he was in the sky. Looking down, he saw he and his friends had been launched over a forest, the boy feeling the effects of his girlfriend's quirk on him as he began producing green aura and righted himself. The verdette reached out and caught all of his classmates, except for Himiko, who hadn't been launched with them. Getting a quick recap from Ochako's mind, Izuku gently dropped the class on the ground.

"I was enjoying that nap," he said a bit grumpily. In his defense, it had been incredibly pleasant. Sensing a spike of fear from a few of his classmates, the teen turned and saw a large golem made of earth. It was rent asunder, green barriers forming within it and expanding to form numerous clean cuts in the body of the golem.

Nearby, Katsuki gulped. "Well, shit. There goes the damn training exercise," he said with a hint of fear.

Ochako nodded solemnly. "Yeah, he _hates_ being woken up like this," she added, explaining the reason for the boy's sudden grumpy demeanor.

Izuku looked up at Pixie Bob and glared, then lifted a hand and snapped a finger. The rescue hero let out a low whistle when she sensed _all_ of her earth beasts getting torn apart at once. "Mandalay, that's one feisty kitty. He just Thanos-ed the Beast's Forest," she said with a slightly terrified look.

Mandalay gave her teammate an incredulous look. "Well, then use the remaining half of your beasts," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"You don't get what I just said. He didn't snap half of them. He snapped _all_ of them. I need to start putting together more," the young woman said with a manic grin, before she gaped in annoyance. "Hey, that's cheating! Get back on the ground! Eraser, shut off his quirk!"

Shota rolled his eyes. "Didn't you read the files I sent you? That's not a quirk. I can't do squat to it," the man said with a bit of a smirk upon seeing that Izuku wasn't the only one floating, the boy having levitated the entire class. "Looks like he's taking his metaphorical ball and going home. I'll have to chew him out later. Come on, or they'll get to the campsite before we do."

The son of Water Hose scowled at the scene before him, the small boy following his aunt onto the bus.

Later That Day

Having gotten over his grumpiness, Izuku was now in fanboy mode. "It's the Wild Wild Pussycats! Mandalay the Voice, Ragdoll the Scout, Tora the Unbreakable, and Pixie Bob the Earthshaper! You've rescued more than two thousand people over the course of your career! We could learn so much from you!" the boy exclaimed, then ran over to his bag and pulled out one of his older notebooks. "May I have your autographs?"

The quartet blinked in confusion for a moment before obliging the teen, signing the section featuring the team. "Impressive notes, nya," Tora said with a grin.

"Yeah, these are pretty good. I look really cute in the picture, too!" Ragdoll exclaimed, causing Izuku to blush a bit before hurriedly taking his notebook back.

"Sorry! I drew those when I was ten, so the drawings aren't as good as I'd like them to be," the boy spewed out in a hurry, embarrassed and poking his index fingers together. He then noticed the grouchy boy nearby. "Um, sorry to ask, but why is that little boy here?"

Mandalay smiled softly. "That's my cousin's kid. His parents aren't around anymore, so I take care of him now. His name's Kota-chan," the woman explained, before calling out to the boy. "Kota-chan! Come say hello to our guests!"

The horn-hatted boy didn't move, other than to scowl in another direction. Izuku walked up to the boy, hand outstretched. "Hi, Kota-kun! My name's Midoriya Izu-KUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

The freckled teen's greeting became a cry of pain as he introduced himself, and the boy's fist introduced itself to his scrotum.

"OH MY GOD! HE GOT YOU GOOD, IZUKU!" Katsuki guffawed as Tenya and Ochako gently walked the verdette away from the tiny hellspawn, a significant portion of the class chuckling along with the amused pomeranian.

"He punched me in the dick. Why? Why did he punch me in the dick?" Izuku squeaked, determined to make his friends smile even if he was in pain.

Uravity rolled her eyes with a giggle. "Come on, Son Goku. Less references, more distance from the nutcracker over there," the brunette said with a tiny grin.

"You fiend! Midoriya-kun will need those organs someday!" Tenya roared at the terrifying tot, who simply glared in response as Izuku and Ochako blushed at the implication.

"You're not helping, Iida-kun!" Cobalt squawked in indignation as the rest of the class laughed harder.

It was going to be an eventful camping trip.

Later That Evening, In The Hot Springs

Izuku sighed in bliss as he rested against the edge of the spring, the hot water helping the boy relax, until he got a concerning thought. _"Hey, Himiko-neechan? Should I be worried about water getting in my port?"_ the boy asked as he sat straight up suddenly and stood, just in case. He didn't currently have the cover on his port, since he was around people he felt safe with.

_"Nah. Unless you're going to interface with something before cleaning it, which is super easy if you've got a friend willing to do it for you, by the way. I'd suggest Uraraka-chan, but I get the feeling you're not ready for _that_ sort of thing yet, so maybe one of your male classmates. Just have them spray it with water. It's really that simple,"_ the blond explained, enjoying her soak as well, before turning to more serious matters. _"Just so you know, and don't panic when I say this, the League of Villains is planning on attacking us here in a few days."_

Izuku very nearly did what she just told him not to do. _"Wait, what?! How do you know that?!"_ he asked in concern, doing his best to keep his fear and worry to himself, though he could sense that Ochako sensed something was amiss. _"Give me a minute, Ochako-chan. I'll explain later."_

The round-cheeked brunette frowned a bit as she turned to look at Himiko, who she could tell was chatting with her brother. The blond turned to give her an apologetic look before getting back to her explanation. _"I'm pretty sure you've already sensed All Might in the area. He'll be in his civilian appearance until we're ready to launch our attack. As I was about to explain, we have a guy on the inside at the League, and he told me they were planning on attacking us here. It's as All Might feared. All for One is behind the League, and he wants two quirks from this attack, Ragdoll's, and...I'm sorry. He wants Ochako-chan's quirk as well. Summon Unit 0 and hide it somewhere nearby, just in case. We're going to attack them before they have a chance to hurt any of you, but we're also not taking any chances, so all of everybody's gear is here already except for your armor. I'm...sorry to heap this all on you, but you'd have figured it out soon anyway. Make sure to tell Ochako-chan, but try not to let the others know if you can avoid it,"_ the childlike woman elaborated remorsefully.

Cobalt frowned, and looked in the direction he sensed his elder sister in. _"How do you know your inside guy is trustworthy?"_ he asked sternly.

The slit-eyed girl smiled fondly. _"Because he is my Bonded. He's really looking forward to getting away from them so he can properly meet you kids. He's a weird one, but I think you'll get along well,"_ she explained, simultaneously sending thoughts of love and encouragement through her Bond to her aforementioned partner. She received adoration, anticipation, and joy in return.

Izuku blinked, then smiled. _"Yeah, I can't wait to meet him either. Thanks for looking out for us, Neechan,"_ he thanked his sister happily, glowing blue in anticipation. The boy turned to look at the star of light that he knew was Ochako and sent feelings of reassurement through their bond. Happiness resonated between the two of them, and Izuku was forced to release his blue aura skyward, causing his classmates to laugh and grin at the spectacle.

A Little Over A Mile Away, In The Forest

Twice stood gazing over the edge of a cliff, looking at the pillar of blue light in awe. "It's so beautiful..._I WANNA GIVE IT A HUG!"_ the masked man of many mannerisms said softly then exclaimed with glee.

Next to him, Dabi rolled his eyes. "That's the enemy, you know. You're gonna be stabbing him, not hugging him," the cremation user replied with a roll of his eyes.

With an unseen scowl, the clone maker saluted. "Your wish is my lunch! _Imma still hug him, though,"_ Jin replied. The deadpool expy smirked. _'In less than two days, I won't have to bunk with these chuckleheads ever again! My sweet Himiko-chan, I'm coming home!'_


	23. Chapter 23

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-three_

A/N: Thanks for all the love, my dudes, dudettes, and every gender in between! I hope you all continue enjoying this! Also, double upload today, because I'm in a really good mood! Just got done writing a chapter I've been looking forward to for a while!

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOTOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

The Next Day, Around Midday

The students of 1-A and 1-B were all hard at work, training to enhance the power of their quirks. As it turns out, the Wild Wild Pussycats made excellent trainers, their quirks allowing them to aid each of the students very well. Each of the students and staff had been given some of Izuku's green aura, "Just in case some wild animal attacks you and your quirk is tired out," Ragdoll had said.

Izuku was training with Himiko and Toshinori, near to where Ochako was doing the same. The girl was orbiting around several stone spires, occasionally switching between them, with rocks of various sizes orbiting around her like tiny moons. The verdette, however…

"Huh?! You're kidding!"

"Nope. Your armor is basically a crutch, meant to help you learn how to do what it does without it. I can do a lot of that stuff, too. See?" Himiko replied with a grin, before opening a palm as a rod of red aura formed, looking eerily like a lightsaber blade, or Xemnas's weapon of choice from Kingdom Hearts. More like the latter, now that Izuku had a moment to think.

"So, I can make lasers form even without Unit 0?" the boy asked with a hint of wonder.

His half-sister nodded. "Yeah, among other things. You can basically do like Green Lantern and make whatever construct you want. You've just gotta practice. Now, try forming a rod like what I've got. Doesn't matter where it comes from. The more creative the point of emergence, the better," the blond said with a grin. She _really_ hoped he'd think outside of the box upon hearing that last bit.

Izuku reached out with his powers, feeling for the desired point of emergence. He had an idea of something that would impress his sister, and he wanted to make her proud, so with a grin, he envisioned the rod of green emerging…

"Nice! Now I'm dual-wielding! Good job, Izuku-kun. That's right, the point of emergence doesn't even have to be on your body. Hell, it doesn't even have to be on a solid object! You could fire off funnel attacks without the funnels, if you wanted!" the eldest of the test tube siblings said with pride.

The verdette blushed at the praise. "Thanks, Neechan. So...wanna spar?" he asked with a hopeful smile, pulling the green rod away from her and into his hand instead.

The cat-eyed girl held up a hand. "Hold your horses, baby brother. First, I need to help you figure some things out, and help you know how to retain that. Yagi-san? Could you call your friend Shield-san and ask him to tell you if he sees a flash of blue of some kind in the next few minutes? Don't wanna scare him with what Izuku-kun's gonna do in a minute," Marida asked the disguised pro before sitting down and patting the spot next to her.

Izuku sat next to the woman with a look of curiosity. "So, you remember what you sensed the first day your powers awoke? How you felt what _everyone_ felt, for a minute?" the girl once called Aureck asked. The freckled powerhouse nodded. "That's your range. You could summon one of those green rods on the other side of the planet if you wanted. I...cannot. Do you know why your range is so vast, and mine is actually very limited?"

Cobalt furrowed his brows in thought. "Normally, I'd think it's because better...technology...went into making me, but something in me is saying that that's not true," the teen responded softly.

Himiko smiled at her brother. "You're right. Part of it is that, but honestly...more of it has to do with what you've got in here," the small woman said softly as she poked her little brother in the chest, right over his heart. "Your love towards people in general, your desire to see the best in everyone, and your need to help others. The positivity in you is what gives you such might.

"Ao-chan said once that your power could move a continent. He wasn't exaggerating. Hell, if your self-confidence managed to get somewhere healthier without you losing that love, you could move the planet. You wouldn't, though, since that'd kill us all, but the fact of the matter is that, if not for the fact that it'd do more harm than good, you _could_ save everybody the way All Might wants to."

Izuku gaped like a fish. "Th-there's no way! I'm not _that_ powerful! No way!" he exclaimed in a panic.

Himiko let out a bark of laughter, then began speaking like a small green Jedi Master. "Believe me, you do not? Judge _me_ by my size, do you? You do not. And you should not! For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is!" the happy woman said, then pinched her baby brother's arm. "Luminous beings are we! Not this crude matter!"

Unable to contain himself, Izuku burst into peals of laughter, blue aura flying off of him and filling the area they sat in. Toshinori gave Himiko a thumbs up and a grin. "He's ready whenever you are," the emaciated man relayed, then gazed at his student in anticipation.

Himiko nodded, then turned to the broccoli-haired boy. "Now, Izuku-kun. Focus on Yagi-san's bond to Shield-san, then make some blue aura, or a blue aura construct, emerge near him. I know you can do this," the cyber newtype hero said encouragingly.

Izuku looked at his sister, the bright star at the center of her being glowing with pride and anticipation, then looked to his mentor, a bit of nervousness, excitement, and pride glowing in his core. He turned to look over his friends, the feelings in their hearts all bared out for him to see, then he focused on Ochako, who had stopped what she was doing to look at him. Neither had line of sight on the other, but he could feel her thumbs up and her grin, before she went back to her training.

"Okay. Here goes nothing…" the boy said, and he felt, seeking the other side of All Might's bond with David Shield. He...sensed the man's surroundings, the man's anticipation, his desire to record whatever he was about to witness, and Izuku willed a...shield, honestly, to appear. He felt the man's sudden excitement and joy, and Izuku experimented a bit, moving the shield around a bit, then let it go, frowning. "This isn't some kind of prank, right?" the boy asked his sister sadly.

With a roar, Himiko's hand flew. "BRIGHT SLAP!" she exclaimed, then pulled her brother into a hug. "I'm not pranking you! Yagi-san, have Shield-san send whatever recording he's got of my baby brother's power, pronto!"

Cobalt simply allowed his elder sister to hold him. _'It can't be true. There's gotta be some mistake,'_ he thought. Minutes later, however, he had video evidence to the contrary.

"Toshi! I don't know how, but it's working! Whatever's doing this is incredible! Is this one of your students' quirks?!" the voice of David Shield spoke excitedly from the recording in English before the shield vanished. "Oh, it's gone. Did they run out of juice or something? Regardless, this is incredible! Such a long-range ability! You must tell me what was doing this later, bud!"

Izuku Midoriya blinked, his eyes unfocused, before he turned to his sister. The girl grinned at him. "That power is something only you have. Neither Ao-chan nor I can do that. Do you understand?" Marida asked softly. The verdette nodded, before slumping over slightly. "Ah, yeah. I figured this would happen. You probably feel like you just got done with a whole day of training, don't you? Just sleep for now. I'll keep an eye on you."

And sleep Izuku did, under the watchful, proud eyes of his sister and All Might.

That Evening

**"WHERE THE FUCK IS THE HOT SAUCE?!"** an irate Katsuki Bakugou roared over the din of everybody trying to make their own meal. Kacchan, being surprisingly good in the kitchen, was doing his damndest to help, in his own explosive way.

Neito Monoma, the poor soul, brought a plate over for a taste test. It went...predictably poorly. **"This curry is so fucking mild, it just politely apologized for offending me! TRY AGAIN, XEROX!"** the ash-blond erupted.

Kota, who had tried his best to remain out of sight, had his plate taken by the erupting teen. "Hmm, this smells absolutely delicious, kid. Mind if I try a bite?" he asked, a hungry grin on his face. The child of Water Hose nodded numbly, and the human hand grenade grabbed a clean fork and took a bite. **"THIS IS THE GOOD STUFF! YOU DUMBASSES! WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE LIL' NUTCRACKER OVER HERE?!"** he roared before patting the kid's head and returning his plate.

1-A laughed good-naturedly, knowing he wasn't as mad as he was acting. 1-B was less used to the tough love of Kacchan, but they were quickly learning his ways. Kacchan himself, though, saw Kota making his way elsewhere, and decided to follow. "Cobalt! You're in charge! Use your crazy voodoo magic force powers and get these morons fed!" he called out before he left.

Several Minutes Later, At Kota's Secret Base

The hydromancer scowled as he fired off a blast of water at the one spot he'd been practicing with for the past few months. _'Stupid heroes. Stupid hero students. Stupid, stupid…!'_

"There you are, you little badass. Nice dent!"

Kota whirled to spot the red-eyed explosion user, then turned back to his practicing. Katsuki took a seat and watched for a bit. Eventually, he started talking. "So, you're Water Hoses' kid? You sure as fuck inherited their quirks, didn't ya, Nutcracker?"

The dark-haired boy whirled at his unwanted guest and fired off his quirk at him, only for the ash-blond to dodge. "Are you gonna tell me my parents died well, too?" Kota asked venomously.

Katsuki frowned. "Fuck no. I might not seem like it, but I know _exactly_ how that feels. My dad was a hero once, too, you know. Sit down with me, and I'll tell you a story," the aggressively friendly teen said, patting a spot next to his new spot as he sat back down. "You ever hear about Fireflight? He's my dad. Used to be a pro, with a very unique form of pyromancy. He got captured by villains, and for months, we all thought he was dead.

"Now, my dad had a rule. He would only use his quirk on people to get fires _off_ of them. He swore that if he ever broke that rule, he'd end his career. Damn villains tortured him for months, and only when they threatened somebody else to try to make him talk, did he unleash fucking hell. Fireflight died in that building, and Bakugou Masaru emerged.

"During those months, though, they kept telling me how proud I should be, that he died in the line of duty. I fucking hated it, and I bet you do, too. My dad came home, and I'm lucky that that happened, but your parents won't be coming back. That sucks, and you shouldn't be afraid to tell people that that's how you feel, got it? Keep it bottled up, and bad shit will happen."

Kota stood up, his eyes watering, and he glared at the ash blond. "I hate that Mom and Dad are gone," he said softly.

"Louder."

"I hate that Mom and Dad are gone!'

**"DID I STUTTER? LOUDER, KID!"**

**"I HATE THAT MOM AND DAD ARE GONE! I MISS THEM!"**

**"I HATE THAT FIREFLIGHT IS GONE! HE WAS A FUCKING BADASS!"**

The two children reared their heads back and screamed into the sky together, unleashing their quirks as they did so. A moment later, they stopped, panting for breath. Katsuki turned to his new friend. "Come back to camp. Let's show those fuckers how to make some real fucking curry."

Kota nodded, scowl still on his face as he followed the nitroglycerine-sweating teen back to the rest of their fellows.

Midday, The Next Day

The students and Kota were gathered in an underground room large enough to house a small town. "We're sorry for bringing you all down here, but the League of Villains has been spotted in the area. Put on your costumes, which are in the back, and stay in here. If Yagi-san here fails to protect you, _then, and only then,_ may you fight," Eraserhead said sternly, then turned to All Might, hidden in his civilian form, and gave him a stern look. "Don't let it come to that. If they get down here, make them pay for every. Fucking. Inch."

Toshinori smacked his fist against his chest. "The kids will be safe, I promise you, Eraserhead," Small Might said with finality. Each student suited up, Cobalt entering his armor, but keeping his helmet off and leaving his hands bare as he held his girlfriend's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Kota stood near Kacchan, the blast hero grinning at the kid as The Friendly Ghost stood nearby, an encouraging smile on her bright face.

If all went according to plan, they'd all be back to training within the next twenty-four hours.

With The Vanguard Action Squad

Dabi smirked at his...ally. Yeah, let's go with ally. "You're in a good mood, Twice. Find something good on your patrol?"

"Nothing that big. Just a gaping hole in the enemy's defenses. _Let's flank those dumb bastards!"_ the masked man said with glee.

The stapled-together man's eyes widened in amusement. "Oh-ho! Do tell, friend!" he exclaimed, the others gathering around to hear the new intel.

Behind his mask, Twice grinned. "You're not gonna believe this, but that big old exploitable hole..IS RIGHT HERE!" he exclaimed as a beam of red emerged from his palm, the man leaping in a spin attack that sent several of the nearby villains flying. Small puddles flew off of the man, revealing a naked Himiko, who gave her opponents a predatory smirk as Kshatriya landed with a thud behind her, the childlike heroine floating back to enter the power armor.

Behind his mask, Mustard growled. "Damnit. Guess Twice won't be coming back from his patrol. I liked that guy," the school uniform-clad villain lamented.

From behind the treeline, a familiar voice shouted, "The feeling was _not_ mutual! _You were my favorite villain, Mustard-kun!"_ Jin Bubaigawara, AKA Twice, emerged from hiding, along with all the pros in the area. "You done goofed!_ Good luck next time!"_

Muscular grinned menacingly. "Awesome! I really wanted to kill you, you noisy fuck!" he roared as he charged the maker of doppelgangers, only for Marida to appear in his path, backhanding the overpowered villain away with one of Kshatriya's quad arms. The man quickly found himself wrapped in capture tape and knocked out, courtesy of Eraserhead. Mustard was quickly knocked out by Vlad King, the teen's mask shattered in the short exchange, and Mister Compress, Magne, and Dabi found themselves up to their necks in earth, the very ground beneath them swallowing them up. Moonfish...would need dental surgery after what Tora did to him.

**"NOMU! KILL THE PROS! RIP THEM LIMB FROM LIMB!"** Dabi roared, enraged. The creature appeared, and did its damndest to follow its orders.

Next to one another, Himiko's hand bared itself to Jin, who pulled off his own glove. "SYNCHRONIZE!" they shouted as one, both of them glowing with red aura as they flew at the creature of pain and suffering, and tore it asunder in less than ten seconds, Marida destroying the remains with her chest cannon, not risking allowing it to regenerate.

Dabi scowled at his foes. "You'll regret this…" he said ominously.

Back At The Bunker

Izuku grinned. He couldn't help himself. His sister was so _happy_ to be with her partner. The villains had been dealt a swift defeat, and all their caution was going to be for nothing. The freckled empath freely produced his blue aura, allowing the others in the room to know all was well.

Ochako grinned at her boyfriend, who emerged from his armor to hug her. "Looks like we were worried for nothing, huh, Izuku-kun?" the brunette giggled.

Izuku nodded, only to give a look of concern when the gravity manipulator began coughing uncontrollably. Suddenly, a silver liquid emerged from her mouth and began swallowing her up. Toshinori buffed up, startling some of the students, and rushed to their aid, but it was all for naught. Even though Izuku had his arms around her, Ochako had been taken.

**"NOOOOOOOO!"** both carriers of One for All roared in anguish, one in Japanese and the other in English.

Izuku looked through the eyes of Uravity, finding that Ragdoll had suffered a similar fate. Listening through her ears, he heard his foe speak.

"Creation of Scalpel. Come to me, or the girl dies," All for One said with a menacing grin.

Izuku didn't need to be told twice. His armor folded around himself, and he turned to All Might, then to his friends. "I love you guys. If I don't come back, tell my mom I'm sorry, and that I love her," he said softly. Toshinori tried to stop the boy, as the blue aura still in the room coalesced into his form, and Izuku reached to the Bond, the line of light calling to him.

He grasped it without a second thought.

Atop A Building In Kamino Ward

All for One grinned gleefully behind his mask as he flung the suddenly appearing Cobalt away from the unconscious Ochako and Ragdoll, laughing uproariously. "It is good to finally meet you, Project Zeta! You've gained something that belongs to me! So, I suggest an exchange. You give One for All to me, and I will return your dear friend to you. Oh, and the cat as well, of course," the villain of villains offered deceitfully.

Cobalt scowled behind his helmet. "And give you free reign to take Force Manipulation and Search? No, if I do that, you'll kill us all. We both know that," the hero in training snarled, beginning to glow Red as his rage filled him.

The villain laughed with unrestrained joy. "Their deaths will be on your head, then, **hero!"** he exclaimed as he stomped a foot, and the part of the building the two unconscious heroes rested on slid away, tumbling down to the ground below.

Izuku MOVED. In two seconds, he'd caught Uravity and Ragdoll and dropped them off on the roof of a neighboring building, and five seconds later, he'd stopped the pieces of building, forming several red barriers, the first few breaking. _'Thank goodness I made redundant barriers,'_ the boy thought to himself before he stood before AfO once more.

Cybernetic-looking blades emerged from the man's hand as he chortled and swung at his opponent, the boy forming a beam of red aura as his armor flew straight into enhanced aura mode. The two opponents clashed, sounds like thunder and shockwaves of power emanating from where their attacks met. In the end, though, Izuku was sent falling to the streets below, his armor carving a line through the pavement. He looked up at his foe, and gasped in dismay behind his mask.

Ochako had snuck up on the ancient villain, and had gone for an attack, but found her head in the man's clutches. Izuku could _feel_ his partner's anguish as her quirk was being drained. With a roar, his shield bits flew, and sliced the man's hand off. However, now…

Uravity was falling. And her quirk…

Cobalt couldn't think of that now. He caught his dear friend tenderly, resting her against the ground. Several heroes had appeared, and Izuku could sense All Might and Marida, along with Twice, heading their way, but they wouldn't make it in time.

Ochako reached her hand out, the pads on her fingertips noticeably smaller. "Izuku-kun...My quirk...I can barely…" she said weakly as her boyfriend grasped her hand tightly.

"I TOLD YOU, DIDN'T I, ARTIFICIAL HUMAN? THEIR DEATHS WILL BE ON _YOUR HEAD!"_ All for One's voice boomed from above, the man tossing a stone up and down casually, before he threw it high into the air. "TELL ME IF YOU GET THIS REFERENCE, HEROES! **CHIBAKU TENSEI!"**

The stone the villain tossed began emanating a familiar pink light, and Cobalt roared, sending tendrils of Red turning Green as he focused on his desire to prevent the tragedy the monster in human flesh intended to cause. Grasping the villains hands with his aura and thanking any deity that might be listening that his other hand had regenerated already, Izuku made a familiar gesture with his own hands as he forced All for One to do the same. "Release!" he shouted, sensing that he'd just barely avoided letting the area be turned into a mini-moon.

The centuries-old menace scowled at the hero-in-training, before leaping away, Crust, of all heroes, having landed a drop kick where he'd once been. A squadron of small fighter jet-looking devices began firing lances of Red aura at All for One, keeping the man on the defensive. One transformed into a more humanoid form and landed next to Izuku and Ochako.

"Sorry about this, Midoriya-chan, but I can't have you or Ochako-chan dying to this guy. Override Code: Zorn. Run Hermit Crab dot E X E," Mei's voice spoke from the drone, and Izuku felt Unit 0 plugging into his back before he could do anything about it.

**"Synchronizing...Synchronizing...Download of Ao-sama complete. The hermit crab has a new home,"** Unit 0 said mechanically before ejecting Izuku.

Unit 0...no, Ao, backhanded the automaton next to him. "Crazy genius bitch. I'll have to thank her later, even if I was enjoying my nap," his voice said through the armor's speakers. The armor glowed bright red and suddenly reappeared next to All for One, lopping an arm off of the villain with a blade of crimson.

Crust, who had barely been hanging on, fell back to where Izuku and Ochako were, as the verdette at his destination pulled Ragdoll's unconscious body over to them. The man formed a barrier with his quirk between the group and the fight, levelling a grin at the teenagers despite the circumstances. "That guy really packs a wallop! Thanks for sending your armor in to get him off of me, kid. More pros are almost here, so I think we'll be okay," the shield hero said confidently, even as Izuku worked to administer first aid, unable to do anything for his girlfriend at the moment.

As they rested, flashes of crimson and the thundering sounds of clashing attacks were heard on the other side of the shield. Izuku focused, feeling for his brother's consciousness, and found it. _"Ao-niisan, let me back you up!"_ the boy called out.

_"No."_

Izuku flinched in sadness, before his elder brother's feelings started pouring through. _"This body may be incapable of tasting, smelling, or feeling, but it is also indestructible through ordinary means. Focus on protecting yourself and the others. This fight won't take too much longer,"_ the soul within a shell of armor said, even as he was sent flying by one of his opponents' attacks, quickly righting himself and re-entering the fray.

As Cobalt watched his brother fight, he was reminded of the state of his girlfriend when he felt the chill of fear pierce her heart. He turned to her with a concerned gaze as she did her best not to panic. _"Izuku-kun...My quirk is almost gone...I might as well be quirkless...I...I don't want to go through that! I don't want to give up on being a hero!"_ the girl told him with tears forming in her eyes.

Shutting his eyes in concentration, Cobalt made some calculations. _'Is she strong enough? I have to be sure!'_ he thought to himself, before asking her, _"How strong would you say you are physically?"_

_"A bit stronger than you were when we took the entrance exam. Why?"_ Uravity asked, her heart still laden with fear and sadness.

Izuku nodded, knowing what he had to do now. _"I wasn't able to add much to it, but...I'll give you One for All. It should bring your original quirk back,"_ the teen said softly, then added, _"There's no way my hair is clean right now, so...may I kiss you?"_

A particularly loud explosion was heard as Marida, Twice, and All Might arrived, adding themselves to the melee that now included many pros. Ochako's eyes shone in the flashes of light, her face turning bright red before she gulped and nodded. _"O-okay...I wish we coulda done this more romantic-like, but…"_

Izuku smiled sadly. _"I wish we could have this happen more romantically, too. I'll think of something nice we can do when this is all over, though,"_ he replied as the two nervously and clumsily inched closer to one another.

Thankfully, a hero was there to save their first kiss. "Hey, you two! I get that you're madly in love, but now's not the time!" Crust laughed loudly, startling the two. Izuku ended up spitting a little bit in surprise as Ochako ended up headbutting the boy. The two turned away from each other in embarrassment, where Uravity discreetly got the bit of saliva on her face into her mouth and swallowed.

_"I...got your quirk, Izuku-kun...We can have our first kiss properly some other time,"_ the brunette conveyed with a blush.

Izuku smiled, and sighed in relief. "Thanks, Crust. You're right, now's not the time," he said to the pro, who nodded with a grin and a thumbs up.

The three noticed something different, suddenly. It was quiet now. The sounds of powerful blows, and the flashes of light from incredible quirks, had stopped. A thud sounded near them as somebody landed. **"Young Uraraka, young Midoriya. Are you two all right?"** the symbol of peace asked hesitantly.

With a grin, Izuku nodded. "We're fine, Sensei," he said in relief.

Ochako giggled. "After all, you are here," the girl joked, before she and Izuku were both wrapped in the musclebound hero's arms.

**"I'm so glad you're both okay!"** the number one exclaimed tearfully as he held his students close. After a moment of just holding onto the two of them, All Might opened his eyes wide and let out a scream that sounded somewhat familiar for some reason. **"You're the Shield Hero, Crust!"** he exclaimed, before composing himself and changing the subject. **"Thanks for looking out for my students. I'm in your debt."**

The teens in the symbol of peace's arms laughed as they watched Crust and All Might try their hardest not to fanboy over one another. Izuku pulled one of his notebooks out of his costume and made his way over to the green-caped pro. "C-can I have your autograph, Crust? Oh, and copies for my friends Ochako and Toshinori-san, if you don't mind?"

Crust nodded, and after borrowing a pen from one of the police officers nearby, signed thrice, then grinned and produced a trio of shields with his quirk and asked, "Now, may I have _your_ autographs?"

Cobalt and Uravity looked to their teacher with confused gazes. The ham of a man laughed. **"Cobalt, Uravity, you have fans of your own now! Go ahead, it's part of the job, after all!"** the number one hero exclaimed, having already signed one of the shields himself.

The two teens smiled at one another and gave out their first autographs. The Shield Hero proudly mounted the signed shields on his armor, intending to hang them in his home when the day was over.

Himiko, Ao, and Twice, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally made their way over as Crust was taken by the paramedics to be looked over. The spawner of doppelgangers abruptly wrapped Izuku in a hug. "I'm hugging the happy blue light! _Suck it, Dabi! No hugs for you!"_ he exclaimed, confusing the teen a bit as Himiko pried her boyfriend off of him with a giggle.

Blue aura began floating off of Izuku for a while, until he sensed somebody feeling sad. Izuku turned to his brother, who had not yet really interacted with the group, other than to approach. "Ao-niisan? What's wrong?" the verdette asked hesitantly.

The suit of armor housing the boy's consciousness shook its head. "I'm just gonna miss this. I can't stay. All for One left a _lot_ of loose ends, and I have to do something about it. Also, unlike you, I didn't have permission from a pro to use my powers in that fight. They changed the laws surrounding vigilantism recently, remember?" the boy said, before reaching out with green aura and pulling his brother and sister in for a hug. "Really would have been nice to be able to feel this, but this will have to do. I love you, little bro, Himiko-neechan. I'll...see you all again someday."

Izuku noted with a hint of concern that some police were approaching with restraints, before he felt a bit of smugness roll off of Ao. The blue aura that was still hanging around was pulled into him, and enhanced aura mode activated, the machine shining a brilliant azure. Unseen to any of them, Ao grasped one of his few bonds, the only one connected to somebody who wasn't currently there, and he Jumped, vanishing before everybody's eyes.

Elsewhere

Ao emerged from his jump near somebody he loved dearly. They jumped in surprise when he appeared, before the boy held out his arms for a hug.

"I'm home for an hour or so, Mom. Let's catch up," he said softly.

Inko gave a teary smile as she gave her baby boy a pull closer to her, the two embracing. "Welcome home, Ao-chan."


	24. Chapter 24

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-four_

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOTOOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

A Week After The Incident

Each of U.A.'s students had been moved into dorms. It had been a bit awkward at first, some of the students having odd habits that came out of nowhere, but they were able to overcome, and affectionately joke about the insomniacs, sleepwalkers, and shirtless macho men that plagued their everyday lives.

Mei had received text files involving All for One's plans from an anonymous source that everybody knew was Ao, even if they didn't outright say it. Izuku would have been suspended for what he'd done, if not for Himiko reminding everybody that he had permission to do what he did, since All Might technically failed to defend Ochako. He was, however, scolded for not bringing backup, seeing as All Might had been right there to bring along.

Shigaraki had evaded capture, but a high profile doctor who'd been an important part of All for One's support network had been easily apprehended.. Kurogiri's arrest had nearly ended in tragedy, since a monstrous villain called Gigantomachia attempted to join the fight. Ao had been in the area, however, and held the abomination off so Gran Torino and Detective Tsukauchi could retreat safely with the unconscious warp user. Mei and many others were hard at work figuring out how to build artificial bodies that could enjoy food, hugs, and sweet aromas, for the two heroes and other innocents trapped within the sentient Nomu. Progress was slow, but steady.

Three of 1-A's teachers were devastated upon learning the identities of the two heroes trapped within Kurogiri's consciousness. Eraserhead and Present Mic nearly had to be restrained from going out to murder Garaki Kyudai, who had been largely responsible for the creation of the nomu, and apparently the disappearance of their dear friend Shirakumo Oboro, who was one of the two heroes imprisoned within the artificial being. The other imprisoned pro…

All Might had wailed in despair upon learning that not only was Shigaraki actually his mentor's grandson, but his dear mentor herself, Shimura Nana, was one of the two trapped souls inside of Kurogiri. The man had shut himself off from everybody else for nearly an entire day before emerging once more, grimace set upon his face as he was determined to do that much better at teaching his students.

Speaking of the users of One for All, Ochako was relieved to find that receiving the quirk had returned Force Manipulation to a usable level of strength. She had suggested returning it to her boyfriend, but he declined, fearing that doing so would deprive her of Force Manipulation once more.

We join our heroes in the common room of 1-A's dorm, in the middle of a Smash Bros. tournament with 1-B, the sibling heroics class invited over in the hopes of helping both groups of students recover.

"Our champions will annihilate you pathetic weaklings, 1-A scum!" the phantom thief screamed with a manic grin.

1-A's favorite cinnamon bun grinned back. "That's the spirit, Monoma-kun!" Izuku exclaimed happily.

"How dare you speak to me in that way! I will learn how to defeat your adorable kindness someday, Midoriya Izuku-kun! Mark my words!"

"RAAAAAAGH!" the hardest of men roared in defiance as he lost to his steely rival. "I'M NOT SATISFIED! WE'RE TAKING THIS OUTSIDE!" Eijirou shouted in challenge as he set his controller down.

"YEAH! THAT'S WHY YOU'RE MY RIVAL! YOU WON'T GO DOWN EASY!" Tetsutetsu replied eagerly, as the two slammed their hardened fists together in their own form of a bro fist.

The alien queen grinned. "I'll avenge you, Eijirou-kun!" she shouted after her boyfriend as she followed the two outside to watch them tussle.

"No quirks!" Momo and Itsuka called out in tandem, the former sounding serious while the other shouted with a grin and a wave.

Komori Kinoko stepped up to the controller with a smirk and a single eye gleaming menacingly from beneath her bangs. "Which of you scrubs am I about to demolish?" she asked cockily.

Dark Shadow emerged from within Fumikage with a flourish. "Hello there!" the sentient quirk quipped.

The Lady of the Mushroom Kingdom let out a giggle. "You are a bold one," she said, then stomped the floor menacingly when a couple of her classmates seemed like they were going to protest the participation of the sentient quirk. "BACK AWAY! I will deal with this shady slime myself!"

"Your move."

The two classes could have _sworn_ they saw Shemage's single visible eye flash as she removed a decorated controller from her purse. "**YOU FOOL!** I've been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Yanagi!"

The gauntlet was thrown, the match was on.

An Hour Later

In the end, it was the quiet and terrifyingly efficient Kodai Yui who won the tourney. Ashido had successfully avenged her boyfriend, but was struck down by Count Yanagi, who went on to defeat Darth Raven AND Uravity. This, however, earned her the ire of the Dark Lord of Smiles, who absolutely devastated the girl with Young Link. However, Yui was more machine than girl, and so was very accustomed to killing Young Links.

Mei, who had been dragged away from her work by Himiko and Jin, smiled as she crowned Rule as the Smash Champ, before she made her way over to Izuku with a wide grin. "I got you something~!" the rosette said in a sing-song voice, before pulling a long cable out of her pouch and handing it to him. "For the record, this isn't the thing I got you. Well, not the thing I was excited about getting you, at least. I do think you and Ko-chan will be able to enjoy this, all things considered, though."

Izuku gazed at the cable in confusion. One end was a typical USB plug, but the other didn't look like anything he'd seen before. "What is it?" he asked curiously.

"An interface cable. Ko-chan has one as well. You should be able to use it to connect to that system and have a one-on-one match with perfect movement. Well, not completely perfect, but there will be no misclicks, and the characters will move as soon as you think it. Have your girlfriend help plug you in," the reticule-eyed girl said with a teasing grin.

Jin looked up from where he was playing a match against one of his clones. "I sense a disturbance in the Force," he said ominously, before his doppelganger roared, _"A challenger approaches! Himiko-chan wants to battle!"_

Surely enough, the Cyber Newtype Hero approached, a cable of her own in her hands. "Jin-kun, plug me in. I need to measure my little brother's power level," she commented with a smirk as her boyfriend moved to disconnect her faux backpack.

With a blush, Izuku locked eyes with Ochako. _"Um, s-sorry, would you mind…?"_ the boy asked shyly. Ochako nodded mutely, her face luminescent with her blush.

The two heroics classes and Mei gathered at a somewhat respectable distance as the two siblings were aided by their partners. Jin plugged Himiko in like he'd done it a million times before, and for all they knew, he very well may have. Ochako, however, was so out of it, she tried plugging the wrong end of the cable in several times before she realized it.

"Wow, already messing with his interface port, Ochako-chan? You work _fast!"_ Pinky joked with a grin.

Uravity rolled her eyes and walked up to her friend, delivering a gentle slap. "I sentence you to ten minutes of Ceiling Prison," the brunette said boredly as the horned girl floated slowly to the ceiling, touching down then having her weight returned to one G, just in the wrong direction.

"I REGRET NOTHING!" Mina laughed from the ceiling.

"I'll take care of your pet rock while you're in the slammer, Ashido!" Red Riot called out with a bark of laughter.

As the horn buddies joked back and forth from opposing gravitational pulls, Team G-Force was blushing heavily. All joking aside, due to the memory sharing, they'd _technically_ seen one another naked before, even if it was from a first person perspective, but to be so close when one had removed their shirt was something different.

Izuku was very aware of his girlfriend's trembling hands as they tried their best to plug the cable into the odd port in his back. It was...pleasant, even if it made him incredibly fidgety. The pads on her fingertips, once again, made him appreciate the things about the brunette that made Ochako _Ochako._

As for the girl of infinity, she was having issues dealing with her raging hormones, seeing and feeling her partner's toned, powerful back under her hands. It mostly distracted her from the port in his back and what it represented, but in the back of her mind, she cursed the man who hurt so many people and caused the mechanical device to be there. Sobered slightly by the reminder of how the port got there, the brunette soldiered through and plugged the corresponding end of the cable in with a tiny click sound.

Upon realizing she didn't hurt him at all, the tenth inheritor breathed a sigh of relief and unintentionally leaned against the freckled teen, which sadly was too much for the boy, Izuku falling over as he fainted from the sudden contact as their schoolmates teased the two of them mirthfully.

Himiko and Jin just smiled fondly at the two as the latter disconnected the former, and Mei started harassing the bespectacled blue blur about upgrades for his armor. Truly, the mission to unwind had been a success.

Hours Later

The goggled rosette laughed with merriment as she guided Izuku and Ochako around the myriad gadgets in the support workshop, occasionally boasting about one she'd made that they passed, before she got to a panel in the wall that slid down to reveal a key card slot, which she quickly unlocked, causing a small area of the ground to slowly open up, revealing stairs leading down beneath the earth.

"This is where the crazier things are kept, or just things that support students want kept as a surprise for their clients and/or friends," the soot-covered girl said proudly as she gestured for the two of them to follow her down.

The slightly nervous couple were startled by how deep the stairs went, eventually finding themselves in a large hangar, where the only things not covered by tarps were being worked on at that very moment. One thing that the two of them were _certain_ was being built by their mad engineer of a friend was hidden by a section of shuttered off wall that was high enough that they decided to pretend it wasn't there.

They were escorted over to a, thankfully, reasonable-sized tarp, that Mei quickly removed. "Tadah! Feast your eyes on Unit 2!" the oil-stained teen exclaimed.

It was...not that much different from Unit 0, at least from what the two of them could see at first glance. It was a bit shorter, if you didn't include the two shields mounted on its back, and its color was entirely gold, instead of the white-with-some-black that Unit 0 had sported. Honestly, though, the most intriguing difference they could see right now was…

"The eye slit is blue. Does this armor use Izuku's blue aura in some way that's special?" Uravity asked curiously, having apparently drawn the same conclusion as her partner.

The Hatsume genius nodded with pride. "Yup! It needs a daily refill, since your blue aura is difficult to contain on the best of days, but this baby can give you temporary access to your good mood juice, regardless of your situation. It probably won't be as powerful as when you're actually happy, but considering how OP you are when you're all smiley, I can guarantee it'll be powerful enough to turn most bad situations around," Mei explained, before pulling a remote out of her top and grinning maniacally.

"More importantly, it'll grow tall with you, so you won't have to bring it in every few months while you're growing! Override Command: Magic wand, make my monster GROOOOWWW!" The tentacle-haired teen cackled like a certain space witch as the armor gradually increased in size until it was approximately the height of All Might, before Mei clicked another button and it reverted to being Izuku-sized again. "It can also relay visual and audio data to Uravity's headset, and receive the same data from her, so you two can synchronize your POVs with less hassle. All that's left is for you to sync with it."

Izuku nodded, even as Ochako practically shoved him to the armor with excitement. The device opened on command, and Izuku carefully lined his port up with the plug in the back of the machine. He almost didn't catch the wince from Mei when the armor closed around him. The device plugged into him, and synchronized quickly, Izuku's vision temporarily being replaced by the view of the camera attached to the head before he exited, intent on finding out what was wrong. He _felt_ things in that wince.

"Mei-san, is everything okay?" Ochako asked, accustomed enough to the bond that she quickly deduced what was bothering her partner.

The mechanically-inclined prodigy shook her head ruefully. "I forgot that you're a lot more perceptive than Ko-chan, both with and without your powers. I'm...worried about her," the rosette confessed, her smile turning melancholy. "She's gotten a lot better, but she still gets nightmares and flashbacks sometimes. Opening up has done wonders for her, but some part of her probably feels vulnerable despite all the support, and so, her nightmares have gotten a bit worse as of late. Midoriya-chan, Uraraka-chan, you two can connect to her in a way I can't, and I've already gone over this with Bubaigawara-chan, but...please try to pull her out of it, if she starts falling into that place again."

The couple walked up to the rosette and gave her a quick hug. "We'll watch out for her. I don't know what I can do that Izuku can't, but I'll try," Uravity said with a thumbs up and a smile as the two of them pulled away.

The Zoom user grinned despite her tears. "Redundant castle walls, Uraraka-chan. Same concept," the gear girl said with a giggle as she pressed a button and a claw arm took Unit 2, presumably to where Unit 0 used to dock, and the trio made their way back upstairs.

Izuku frowned as he thought of something. "Wait, there's Unit 0 and Unit 2. What about Unit 1?" he asked curiously.

Mei stuck her tongue out teasingly. "The Absolute Unit series is what I call my special babies, meant to protect my friends in the field and look cool while doing it. Unit 1 is Kshatriya, my young padawan!" the yellow-eyed girl joked as she ruffled the verdette's hair, before commenting, "Wow, Uraraka-chan. You lucked out. His hair is so fluffy. You need to rub it more!"

The Next Day

The students of 1-A laughed as they exited the provisional exams stadium on the way to the changing rooms. "That Yoarashi guy was a riot! Once he got over his hate boner for Todoroki-san, he was actually pretty fun to work with," Chargebolt commented with a grin as he fiddled with his duel disk, as his classmates had taken to calling it.

Tooru shook her fists in a fit of anger. "Oooooh, I couldn't stand that Utsushimi girl, though! She was staring at you too much, Kacchan!" she exclaimed angrily at her boyfriend, who tilted his head in confusion.

"What are you on about, Bright Eyes? You were VISIBLE when that was happening. She was making eyes at YOU. Friggin' adorable moron," the grenadier commented as he patted his girlfriend's head fondly. The occasionally-unseen girl made noises of contentment as she pushed her head against the explosive palm atop her hair.

Cobalt smiled at his friends, having removed his helmet as he walked. "Some of the teams were really cool, if you ask me. Those ninjas were really well-coordinated, along with those sharply-dressed girls from that one school. I _really_ wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition-themed trio, though!" the empath exclaimed.

"NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!" a trio of red-clothed hero trainees exclaimed from their right, having appeared shortly after they were spoken of. Like Satan, or Cao Cao.

After getting changed, 1-A boarded their bus, headed for their dorm, and found a familiar mighty twig on board. "It's Small Might-sensei!" Mina exclaimed fondly once the doors to the bus were shut, a few of the students crowding the number one hero to give the ham a quick hug before heading to their seats. The heroics teacher grinned happily at the affection his students showed him.

Shortly after the bus started moving, Izuku felt his teacher nudging his mind. _"What's up, Sensei?"_ he asked, the boy turning to look at him before remembering the symbol of peace might want privacy and spinning his head right back to looking forward.

The proud teacher grinned a bit at the boy's slip-up. _"I just wanted to let you know that, since pretty much all of All for One's plans have been foiled, and the ones that haven't been will within the next few years, it should be safe to tell your friends about One for All, if you and young Uraraka wish to divulge that information to them. I can help you with explaining it, but you needn't worry about my permission at this point. I have maybe one major fight left in this body of mine before I'm just Yagi-san again,"_ the man explained with a hint of sadness, even as he smiled.

The verdette did his best not to start crying. _"You'll always be All Might to me, Sensei. I'll talk with Ochako about it later. For now, though, I need to make sure I don't flood the bus!"_ the boy responded with a smile, even as the brunette next to him squeezed his hand comfortingly, sensing his melancholy.

Hours Later

Izuku paced the common room frantically, as Ochako floated around in anxiousness, the girl equally as nervous as her boyfriend. More than a few of their friends had noticed, especially when Hanta had to use his quirk to prevent the floaty one from bumping into a lamp and possibly burning herself. Several of them tried to get the couples' attention, but aside from preventing themselves from bumping into one of their classmates, Team G-Force seemed completely unaware of the world around them.

A scream of frustration from the stairs alerted the students to an irate Himiko, who floated down in a cloud of red aura before grabbing both halves of the Green Tea ship. "Your anxiety is so loud, I'm surprised they can't all hear what you're nervous about! Just share the relevant memories directly if you can't figure out how to say it properly!" the small woman shrieked as she shook her little brother comically.

Izuku and Ochako both blinked in confusion as they were brought out of their musings by the sudden intrusion of the blond's frustrations. "I/He can do that?" the pair asked in sync.

The fanged girl rolled her eyes. "Yes. Ugh. Outside of the presence-cloaking, slowed-aging, and my quirk, anything I can do, he can do better! Just, touch Yaoyorozu-chan's head and remember the relevant events, or something! She'll figure out how to relay it to the others for you. She's smart like that!" she suggested with a sigh.

Ashido giggled. "You heard the lady. President Skroob, go lend Midori your big buff grey matter!" the pinkette commanded, getting behind the class president and pushing her in the direction of Izuku and Ochako, who had stopped floating and gently touched down.

Yaomomo sighed and gave a shrug. "Just...try not to sense my thoughts when you do this. I've had some embarrassing daydreams lately," the top student of 1-A said with a blush as she bowed a bit to give the Vice Rep better access to her head.

Izuku frowned a bit nervously, before he nodded. Yaoyorozu would know how to disseminate this information properly. There's a reason she's Class Rep, after all. He placed his hand on the girl's forehead, and thought back to the events surrounding his obtaining, using, and giving away of One for All.

The ponytailed girl pulled away a few seconds later with a blush and a stutter. "That was...an odd experience, and a lot of info to process. Also, Midoriya-san, _you don't ask a girl for their first kiss that way!"_ Momo scolded, then sighed and added, "I'll have an announcement for the class later, once I've figured out what needs to be said and what doesn't. At least now I know how Uraraka-san's quirk miraculously recovered after being stolen by a villain who can just take and give them away."

The couple blushed like mad at the event the black-haired beauty brought up, Izuku pressing his index fingers together and Ochako whistling nonchalantly while scratching the back of her head. The heroine in charge sighed and walked away, off to her room to get some work done.

That Night, In Himiko's Room

The Cyber Newtype Hero sat up, having awoken in the middle of the night from a nice dream for once, instead of a nightmare. Her fiance sat up with her. "That was a nice one. _I want to know what that's like for real!"_ he said excitedly, then turned to the messy-haired girl. "Sucks that you're too small for us to make a baby safely right now. _You can adopt a tiny tot, you dumbasses!_ Oh, thanks, other me! _Shut up, you're all being too noisy."_

Himiko smiled fondly at the space in her arms their dream child had occupied before they awoke. She couldn't remember the kid's face, gender, anything really, but the joy she felt was lovely, like what she sensed from Mei when they first met. "We're too busy to adopt a kid now, but we'll do it soon, Jin-chan. We'll find a sweetheart we can connect with, to raise to be big and strong and _happy,"_ the woman in the body of a young teen said with hope, a tear rolling down her eyes.

Her partner gently wiped said tear away. "Don't be sad. I told you I was fine waiting for your body to be healthy enough for stuff like that. _I WILL STAB YOUR SORROW AND PUNCH YOUR NIGHTMARES IN THEIR DUMB FACES!"_ the man of many personalities said, one of the crazier ones commenting at the end.

The fanged girl giggled, and quickly checked on the state of her baby brothers, both of them, before lying back down and cuddling her nutty partner, the two finding sleep again soon after.

There was hope in their future.


	25. Chapter 25

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-five_

A/N: Thanks for _all_ the positive feedback, and all the constructive criticism over the past few months. We're getting close to where it's gonna be almost all original, because a lot of problems that stuck around canonically are being dealt with early in this fanfic, a lot of it offscreen, so I feel like I should confess that after the conflict-laden portion of the fic, I'm gonna make it mostly just snippets of the characters' lives afterwards in a slice-of-life kind of story. I hope you are all able to enjoy that. Also, because I'm amped for the upcoming arc...POWAAAAAH!

"Normal speech."

"Twice speech. _Twice speech."_

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOTOOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

On An Inconspicuous School Day

Eraserhead rolled his eyes as the empath in his class began shedding blue aura and vibrating in his seat. "Problem child, I appreciate the enthusiasm for the lesson, but _why_ are you leaking your good mood all over my classroom?" the tired teacher asked blandly.

To his credit, the green-haired telepath reeled his aura in quickly. "Sorry, Sensei. Somebody in range thought loudly enough about what we'll be doing later today that I got really excited. Also, have I mentioned that _thank you for being awesome, Aizawa-sensei?"_ the boy explained, finishing up with a wide smile and watery eyes as he thanked his homeroom teacher.

The Erasure Hero stared at his student for about five seconds before responding. "Just don't spoil it for your classmates, problem child," he said simply before going back to the current lesson. With his face turned away from his students, Shota allowed himself a little grin of his own. _'We'll see if you're still so enthusiastic after you get knocked off your feet, Midoriya-san. Regardless of the outcome, I'm looking forward to seeing what all of you rugrats show me.'_

Immediately After That Lesson

Shota turned to his class, where now both Uraraka _and_ Midoriya were producing bits of blue aura, and rolled his eyes. "I suppose I can't blame you for Uraraka-san finding out, Midoriya-san, so you're off the hook, I guess," the inhaler of caffeine said, then tapped a button on his desk and said, "You can come in now."

The front classroom door opened, and Izuku's desk now vibrated with him. "It's them! Lemillion the Phantom, Nejire-chan the Swift, and Suneater the Chimera! U.A.'s Big Three!" the freckled ninth inheritor exclaimed, releasing a tiny noise of excitement when he noticed two of his three senpais brighten when hearing his fan titles for them. The third just seemed confused.

"Wait, I have a fan?" Amajiki Tamaki asked nervously, finding the idea to be very foreign. Nearly all of the class raised their hands and announced themselves as one of his fans. "Oh no...The pressure...I can't handle the youth…" the manifest user softly complained before turning around and leaning his forehead against the wall.

Suddenly, Nejire was flitting around the classroom. "Ne, ne, you produce acid, but is it just acid, or can you produce any acidic liquid? Can you produce water with your quirk? Hey, your quirk produces electricity! Does that mean your body produces more electricity than a normal body even when you're not using your quirk? Oh, your quirk lets you talk to animals! Do they talk back? What's the best conversation you've ever had with a non-human who isn't our principal?"

This continued for a while, though she noticeably avoided talking with Himiko, Ochako, and Izuku. Soon enough, she passed close enough to her fellow third years for them to pull her back down to the floor. The Vault Boy-esque Togata Mirio grinned at all his kohais. "Well, Eraserhead-sensei said he wanted the three of us to give you some examples of what you'll all learn at your internships over the years, but I don't think we can do that all that well with just words. So, Eraserhead-sensei, do you mind if the three of us go up against your wet behind the ears kids for a practical lesson?"

The eternally tired underground hero smirked despite himself. "Knock yourselves out. Or them. Get your costumes on, all of you, and head to Gym Gamma," Shota said to the future of hero society.

Gym Gamma

"I can't believe we're gonna fight the Big Three!"

"I can't believe we're gonna fight the people who beat All Might in a mock battle!"

**"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT FUCKING BUTTER!"**

Shoto looked between the fanboying Izuku and the fangirling Nejire for a few minutes, before his eyes widened. "Is Hado-san secretly also Midoriya-san's half sister?" the half and half boy mumbled as those close enough to hear him rolled their eyes and tried to talk the boy out of his new conspiracy.

Izuku, noticing his sister still in her school uniform, quirked an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to join us, Neechan?" he asked curiously.

Himiko let out a quick bark of laughter then smiled fondly at her baby brother. "You forget, I'm already a pro. I'm in this class to help develop my social skills and education, not to become a hero. Also, I wanna see what this next bit looks like from the outside. Good luck, baby bro. You'll need it," the elder of the test tube siblings said with a slightly ominous smirk.

Noticing the siblings' conversation, Eraserhead spoke softly to the three near-graduates. "Try not to beat them too badly. I don't want to get on Recovery Girl's bad side," the homeroom teacher of 1-A requested.

Suneater's eyes widened comically before he began muttering gloomily to himself, and Lemillion tried his hardest to lift his friend's spirits. Nejire simply grinned at the sleepy man. "We'll do our best, but you know what they say about plans! Everybody has one until they get punched in the face!" she exclaimed with way too much brightness.

Eraserhead pinched the bridge of his nose, then motioned for everybody to get in position. "All right, go kick each other's asses!" the man called out.

"Kelvin Force: Glacier!" Cobalt and Shoto called out in combination, the latter forming a huge wall of ice between the first years and the third years that was quickly reinforced with green aura. The aura began spreading out and connecting to each of the students of 1-A, outside of Himiko, and they began positioning themselves to better prepare for their opponents, information on the fighting styles of the Big Three suddenly entering their minds.

Earphone Jack whirled around and grinned, startling Lemillion a bit when he emerged and saw her confident expression. "Sonic Force: Reverb!" the girl said ominously in conjunction with the green-clad empath as she glowed with his aura. Lemillion landed his punch, but it was as if he had been struck, the savior of many being flung away, phasing through the wall he was flung into.

Nejire-chan and Suneater both made it over the wall shortly after, and the latter joined the fray, quickly overwhelming several of the students of 1-A at once with tentacles, vines, and claws. The sudden disruption of their frontlines threw many of them off, Izuku included. He, Tsukuyomi, and Darth Raven, tried to use Shadow Force: Armor of Night, but it was quickly blown through by the blue-haired badass Surge user, who looked up at Izuku with an unnerving grin and floated up to him.

"Ne, ne! You have empathic and telepathic abilities, right? What does my mind feel like to you?" the girl asked innocently. Despite himself, Izuku found himself entering her thoughts, however…

There were so many! She didn't have just three or four trains of thought, she had an entire railroad system's worth! Unit 2 and Uravity, both fighting on the ground at the time, suddenly fell over, the latter with swirly eyes, and Cobalt dropped like a brick, the thud he made upon hitting the ground sounding far louder than it actually was as the melee stopped for a moment, 1-A suddenly exuding a menacing aura that had the Big Three pausing.

Kacchan gazed with faraway eyes at the fallen verdette and brunette for a moment, before he exploded violently, as he was wont to do. **"THEY SANK OUR BATTLESHIP! KILL THESE STUPID FUCKS IN THEIR DUMB FACES!"** he roared with the fury of a thousand suns, his classmates letting out their own warcries as well, as they began fighting with renewed vigor.

The proceeding fight was incredibly brutal, even if it was somewhat one-sided. The Big Three won in the end, but they had to fight for long enough that they knocked out a couple of their underclassmen multiple times. Kacchan went down in history as being too angry to stay down, the boy occasionally getting up and rejoining the fight less than a minute after being knocked out, and he was not the only one to do this. Eraserhead was forced to call the fight after each of his students, sans Cobalt and Uravity, got back up to rejoin the fight at least once, and had to use his capture weapon to restrain Kacchan and a few others to prevent them from continuing the fight anyway.

Needless to say, there were bruises and other minor injuries aplenty, and Eraserhead got on Recovery Girl's bad side, exactly as he'd feared.

Hours Later In The 1-A Common Room, After 1-A Let Go Of Their Rage

"Sorry about the black eye, Nejire-chan!" the Alien Queen apologized to the girl she, quite frankly, looked up to.

"Don't worry about it! I haven't had a good fight like that in a while! Villains don't normally take me seriously, so the angry little Nejire-chan inside of me doesn't get to properly express herself often!" the taller bluenette responded with a grin and a peace sign.

"Don't move so much, Mirio. I need to keep the pressure on, and the ice pack slips when you fidget," Tamaki scolded the blond.

A bit delirious, Mirio grinned at his friend. "Did I tell you I love you, Tamaki?" he asked with a goofy smile.

The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. "Every morning for the last year, Mirio. What did I do to deserve such a friendly, troublesome boyfriend?" the pointy-eared teen replied with a blush and a tiny smile.

With a grin, Eijiro hollered his thoughts. "Ha! GAAAAY!" the manly son of two moms joked loudly, getting a few chuckles as several of the couple's underclassmen congratulated the two on their steady relationship.

Meanwhile, Himiko couldn't stop laughing at her baby brother. "Neechan, it couldn't have been _that_ funny!" the verdette pouted, before his sister stopped for a second to show him the memory. "Okay, it was kinda funny."

It wasn't long before Mirio had gained enough lucidity that he remembered something important. "Oh, that's right! Sir Nighteye wants to meet you two, Midoriya-kun, Uraraka-chan!" the buff blond announced with a smile.

Izuku's eyes widened, the boy suddenly recalling something important as well. "I mean, I can't speak for Ochako, but as you can tell from the blue aura, sorry about that, by the way, I'd really like to meet him, too!" the fidgety verdette said with literally bright eyes.

The brown-haired building-flinger giggled at her boyfriend. "I'll go with you. Even if whatever he needs us for doesn't work out, I'll get to see Izuku fanboy all over the place," Ochako said as she grabbed her slowly levitating boyfriend and pulled him back down.

That would have to wait until later, though. Curfew was approaching, and each of the students would be needing their sleep.

Late At Night, In Izuku's Room

The freckled teen woke with a startled shout that he quickly silenced, not wanting to wake anybody up. He could sense that the gripping fear that had awoken him had also roused his girlfriend, Ochako slightly confused at the turn of events. Stretching out his senses, since it hadn't been _his_ nightmare that had interrupted his sleep, the boy sensed sorrow coming from his sister and her partner.

_"Common room?"_ the boy suggested, getting feelings of assent from the three he conveyed the thought to.

_"Give me a few minutes...Sorry, you guys,"_ Himiko said, sounding quiet and a bit afraid even in his head.

Uravity, he sensed, was not bothered. _"Don't be sorry. Be Himiko-chan,"_ the girl conveyed the feelings of kindness and love, letting the test tube woman know she had their support.

The four gathered in the common room, where the tv turned on and quickly lowered its own volume, Mei's oil-stained face appearing on the screen. "I sensed a disturbance in the Force, so I checked the feeds. You need me to come over there, Ko-chan?"

The fanged blond took a seat on the couch, where her boyfriend, brother, and friend had all gathered to be close to her. "...Yeah. Sensei might be upset, though," Himiko said, somehow looking more tired at that moment than the on-screen insomniac.

The rosette nodded. "I'll bring some chocolate milk," she said before the tv shut off. The four remained huddled together in the dim lighting for maybe three minutes before the front door was unlocked and Mei wandered in with one of the campus drones, the automaton locking the door behind her and carrying a few blankets while the teenage genius carried a few packets of chocolate milk. Soon, the quintet were piled around each other under blankets while they sipped the tasty drink through their straws.

When he sensed his sister was calm enough, Izuku asked the question on his and Ochako's minds. "So...do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly.

The shorter of the two yellow-eyed girls stared at the recently emptied drink packet. "It's not something that can be solved in a day, and you and Ochako-chan _definitely_ shouldn't be thinking about doing anything about it for another decade, honestly, but...I'm scared. Assuming I don't die in the line of duty, I'm going to outlive all of you by a _lot._ That idea scares me. It's gonna sound weird to ask this, but if you two have a kid, could you ask them to make sure I'm not lonely when you're all gone?" she asked, and Izuku could tell the subject made her very afraid.

If not for the seriousness of the situation, he and Ochako would have been a blubbering mess right then. The two had thoughts of a future together already, but children? That thought hadn't passed through their minds just yet. However, they could both already tell. If they did end up having a kid, either adopted or...biologically...they'd definitely make sure the tiny tot would keep an eye on Himiko for them. "Yeah," Ochako said with a soft smile, having come to the same conclusion as him, even as the two looked at one another with a blush.

Mei smiled, adding her two yen. "You already know I've offered up my first born to you, Ko-chan," the rosette joked as she tightened her arms around her friend gently.

Himiko couldn't help the smile that found its way on her face, being reminded of the support she had. "Thanks, you guys. Thank you so much," she said softly.

Though Mei eventually left to get back to work, the other four slept in their cuddle pile through the rest of the night.

A Few Days Later, Outside Of Sir Nighteye's Office

Cobalt gulped nervously. To appear more friendly, the boy had forgone wearing Unit 2, instead holding it in place at high altitude so he could just bring it down from above in case of emergencies. The hooded portion of his costume was settled around his neck as well, revealing his face in its entirety. However, at the moment, part of him wanted to turn tail and hide.

He could tell, even from the other side of the door and without actively sensing for anything, that his host was in a foul mood. The green-haired esper was thankful Uravity was here with him. Truly, his girlfriend was a blessing. The girl had already started to counter the negativity coming from the room before them with her positivity. A not-so-soft pat on the back had him in better spirits a lot more quickly than what should be possible.

"You ready to help some folks, Cobalt?" the heroic stargazer queried with pep in her voice.

The quirkless hero nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Uravity," he responded, before the two of them opened the door together, chuckling a little at the redundant hand on the door handle.

"Cobalt, reporting as requested!"

"Uravity, also reporting as requested!"

Sir Nighteye turned his head around ominously from his task, which seemed to be...tickling a restrained hero. _"I guess this is what happens when you fail to make him laugh,"_ Uravity said with a hint of a giggle of her own.

The Foresight user rolled his eyes and released his sidekick. "Bubble Girl, ensure nobody interrupts this meeting. Classified info will be discussed," the lanky former sidekick said sternly.

The bluenette wheezed as she pulled herself back together. "Of course, Sir!" the woman managed to get out as she skedaddled with haste, occasionally letting out giggles as she went.

Sasaki Mirai took a seat at his desk, his fingers steepled as he gazed harshly at the two students standing before him. "You know why you two are here." The pro was not asking. He was stating what he believed. And to an extent, he was right.

Izuku fidgeted a little as he responded. "I mean, I assume it's something to do with One for All, but other than that, I don't know," the boy confessed, twiddling his thumbs a bit before Uravity placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Sir blinked, and Izuku sensed a hint of surprise from the pro. "I was under the impression you had less control over your mind reading powers than you clearly have. That was unprofessional of me. Even with a power that isn't a quirk, there will be room for improvement, and you have improved. Yes, you are here because I wished to discuss One for All. Normally, I would call All Might about this, but he has been difficult to get in contact with as of late," the man said, stoic as a mountain on the outside. The pang of regret and sorrow at the end of his statement would have gone unnoticed if not for his company.

With a grin, Uravity nudged her boyfriend. _"Now's your chance, Izuku! Bring these two together!"_ the tenth inheritor exclaimed encouragingly.

Izuku nodded. "Um, if you want, I can make that conversation happen. Right now, even," the boy said with a soft smile.

The frown on the former sidekick's face deepened. "Not likely. He's certainly busy right now, and I doubt he wants to talk to me," the man lamented.

With a smirk, Izuku did what he does best. "Prepare to be surprised. Talk no Jutsu!" the teen called out, and blue aura flooded the office. Unseen to them, a line of blue connected the three of them and flew off into the distance, connecting them to one other.

Mirai gasped, as before him stood his friend, thin, a bit shorter, but clearly very happy to see him. "Sir Nighteye. I'm...very glad to see you again. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've gotten taller!" the number one hero exclaimed with joy.

The taller green haired hero frowned. "This...can't be real. I've wanted this for so long, and it was _this easy?"_ the future gazer cried in disbelief. But no, he could _feel_ the heart and mind of his friend. More importantly, he could feel the hug the big oaf pulled him into.

"I'm sorry, Sasaki-kun. I was afraid that you didn't want to see me, but it seems like we both felt the same way this whole time. But now...I'm so glad I can talk to you…" the Symbol of Peace said tearfully.

Team G-Force smiled. "We'll let you two reconnect in private. Time is dilated here, so you don't have to worry about missing anything important while you catch up," Uravity said as she walked a weeping Cobalt out of the room.

Soon after they left, Izuku turned to Ochako. "All Might was right. This really is the best part of the job," he said with a smile, wrapping his girlfriend in a mighty hug that was returned twofold.

Life was good now. The young couple hoped it would remain so.


	26. Chapter 26

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-six_

A/N: We're getting to the tail end of planned stuff, and this chapter will have the last major fight I've planned out. I've...not actually updated my outline to reflect the plan I've got in my head for the fight scene. Penguin Lord, one of my editors, who I thank for dealing with my crap, sees me typing this, and I apologize to him for that. I also extend once more a thank you to nightwind83, who hasn't been able to help as much as he'd like due to work and whatnot. Thanks as well to my readers and _especially_ my reviewers. When I've finished writing this, I'll post two chapters instead of one, since I'm so close to the end.

"Normal speech."

**"Buff Might/AI/SHOOOOOTOOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

In The 1-A Common Room, Many Months Later

Eri grinned as she defeated her Uncle Fumi in Smash Brothers, letting out a cheer as the results screen played. "Mewtwo wins!" the announcer exclaimed as Tsukuyomi lamented that his type advantage against the psychic type meant nothing in this game.

Himiko, who stood nearby keeping an eye on the three kids, chuckled a little. "I still love why you decided to main Mewtwo, sweetie," the blond said fondly as she ruffled the small unicorn girl's hair.

The tiny albino smiled. "They don't let their past stop them, and they look like a kitty cat!" Eri exclaimed with a giggle.

The Cyber Newtype Hero couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter herself. "They _do_ look like a kitty cat!" she agreed.

Dark Shadow approached with a pair of juice pouches. "Two apple juices, one for my grumpy bird-brain brother, and one for the little padawan learner," the sentient quirk said fondly. It had taken a while for Eri to stop being frightened by the avian boys' appearance, but everybody's hard work was beginning to bear fruit, and that fruit just so happened to be apples.

After a sip of her favorite drink, the little girl gazed up at her primary caretaker. "Mama? Can you tell me the story about the day I was saved again?" the Rewind user asked softly.

The pro smiled at the child she had taken in as her own. "You really love your stories, don't you? Well, lucky for you, your Uncle Izuku shared his memories of that day with me a while ago, so I can tell that story just as well as he can. Our tale begins as many do, with an explosion…"

The Morning Of The Day Eri's Life Really Began

Mina's head rose from where she'd been looking at her phone. "I sense an explosion!" she exclaimed ominously. Surely enough, an explosion occurred.

**"WHICH OF YOU FUCKWADS ATE THE LAST OF MY EGGS?!"** the Blast Hero erupted from the kitchen, pop rocks firing off of his palms.

_"Sorry, Katsuki-san. I was having one of my cravings, and your eggs were the only ones in the fridge,"_ Himiko's voice echoed in their heads.

The pop rocks stopped instantly. He knew better than to get in the way of her cravings. "Fucking Scalpel indirectly fucking with people even in death," the explosive hero grumbled irritably. It had quickly been established that Himiko's version of puberty was a _lot_ more irritating and bothersome than what most girls went through, and it didn't help that it would end up lasting twice as long. One of the few things that Katsuki would bow down to was the woman's unusual needs, because he learned very early in life to respect women.

_"Thanks for understanding, Katsuki-san. Needless to say, I'm going to be trying to stick close to Izuku-kun today. Sorry about that, baby brother. I'll try to stay out of your way,"_ the pro said apologetically.

Izuku, who was already on his way to the train station with Ochako, smiled fondly. _"I'm just glad I can help you with this. Do you want us to wait for you at the station, or should we go ahead?"_ the teen replied, his girlfriend squeezing his hand in hers.

_"Don't wait on me. If I get too anxious, I'll just jet up to high altitude and get to you in stealth mode. Besides, it'd be bad if you were late to your first day interning with Sir Nighteye. Make sure to thank him for me. I'm really glad he's looking after you. Guy's really good at what he does,"_ Marida said with a fond smile. She was really proud of her baby brother.

Uravity smiled fondly at her boyfriend. "You're such a sweetheart, Izuku. I'm glad you and your siblings get along so well. Makes me kinda wish I had a baby brother or something," the girl said fondly as she used their intertwined hands to pull the pro closer.

"Ew! You're holding hands in public, you degenerates!" a fellow passenger teased with a happy laugh, causing the couple to blush, even as their grips tightened.

"Hey, aren't those two the students that got together in the finals of the U.A. Sports Festival? That was so cute! I'm glad they're still going strong!" another passenger commented.

"Oh, quit teasing the dearies! She just turned her mask opaque, and he just shut his helmet! Can't you tell you're bothering them?" an elderly woman chastised the other passengers, everybody suddenly realizing that they were, in fact, embarrassing the couple.

While everybody stopped outwardly gawking, though, the power couple could still sense the feelings of awe and adoration. _"I'm glad they like us so much, but this'll take some gettin' used to,"_ Uravity said with an unseen blush on her cheeks.

_"I wasn't expecting to do this well this soon, but this _is_ part of the job. I'm just grateful that I'm facing it with you,"_ Cobalt replied fondly as he nonchalantly stopped somebody from falling over when the train made a turn they hadn't been prepared for. The armored boy waved politely at the person as they thanked him.

The brown-eyed girl next to him giggled. _"I remember I prevented a certain someone from tripping a while ago. Now I'm dating him! Best rescue ever!"_ Ochako commented teasingly.

Behind his helmet, Izuku grinned. _"I'm sure there will be bigger rescues in our future, but I'm glad you helped me that day, too,"_ he said fondly, before noticing something far off and rolling his eyes. _"Himiko-neechan must have gotten anxious. She's rapidly gaining altitude, so she's probably gonna be nearby when we get there."_

Uravity nodded, feeling it as well through Izuku. _"Speaking of your siblings, how is Ao-kun doing? I know he's on the run for vigilantism, but he's okay otherwise, right?"_ the brunette asked.

Cobalt smiled as he stretched his senses out and felt for his bond with his older brother. _"He's okay, though he misses us. He visits Mom occasionally, and since he isn't a priority target of the police or anything, they don't bother trying to catch him when he enters our home. He likes hanging out in orbit when he's not tracking down associates of All for One. He tells me he got the idea from you, actually, and that stargazing is really fun. The police say they'll probably end up just slapping him with community service when he ends up turning himself in, since he's been really good about avoiding collateral damage and deaths when he engages with villains,"_ the greenette said fondly.

Uravity gazed somberly at her lap. _"I'm glad he's decided he'll turn himself in eventually. I didn't want to have to end up fighting him again. He doesn't seem to like fighting, from what I can tell,"_ the girl said, recalling her first encounter with him. Izuku's only memories of that time were from her point of view, so he understood where she was coming from.

The freckled empath pulled her into a side hug, removing the entire upper half of his armor as he did so. _"He wants to get to know you properly sometime. He's a bit sad that you only got to see that side of him. He also can't wait for Mei-san to finish the artificial bodies, since not having a sense of touch bothers him,"_ the telepathic hero said fondly, before sensing something, and adding, _"I sense Sir Nighteye nearby. We're near our stop."_

The two disengaged from their side hug and got ready to disembark from the train. They didn't know it then, but this day would change things for them.

About An Hour Later

The group had been split up, each patrolling separate areas. Uravity was patrolling with Sir Nighteye, Centipeder was with Bubble Girl, and Cobalt was with Lemillion. Unit 2 was walking along with the two, appearing as if it were a third hero. Currently, Izuku was focusing on preventing himself from looking into the minds of those around him, having been told that would only be acceptable if there was a real threat. Little did he and Lemillion know, one such threat would be frightfully close to them soon.

"And so I tell them, 'But that's what mimes are for!'" the blond exclaimed, getting a laugh out of Cobalt and several of the passersby, when a tiny form bumped into the leg of his kohai, and he could sense that something was very wrong at that instant.

Izuku nearly collapsed, wrapping his arms around the little girl as he began weeping suddenly. "No, why, why, why? Why did he do that?" the boy mumbled in a panicky voice as he held the girl tightly, the white-haired single-horned girl panicking just as hard even as she wrapped her tiny arms around the verdette.

"Need to run. Need to get away. He's coming. He'll find me." the two of them said simultaneously as Lemillion tried to get their attention.

"Look at what you've done, Eri-chan. Making trouble for these heroes," a chilling voice spoke, and suddenly, Lemillion felt the girl's terror as well, Cobalt no longer able to hold onto it alone.

With horror running cold through his veins, Lemillion did what he had to do. Going straight into fight mode, he dove underground, before emerging again between the man and his quarry seconds later. "Phantom Menace!" the teen roared, unloading an uppercut that sent the man tumbling back, before he went to grab up Izuku and the little girl, only to find that he couldn't even get close without being overwhelmed by terror.

With a thud, Marida landed nearby, encased in Kshatriya. "Get the civilians to move away! I can get these two!" the armored woman exclaimed as she reached out through the pain and horror to touch the hearts of the two frightened children. _"Izuku-kun, can you hear me? You need to let go of her fear. We can't help her with it now, but when this is all over, and we're all safe, we can help her, okay? Focus on me for now, got it? The others are on their way!"_

He knew, logically, that he had to fight to save her, but it was so _hard._ Leave her alone with this terror? He couldn't possibly do that! So much fear and horror and despair and _why, why, why did people do things like this?!_ Thankfully, that red hot spike of anger pulled him out of Eri's heart, and not a second too soon, for Overhaul was right over them. A punch from Unit 2 sent him stumbling away, as Izuku took Eri over to Marida and encased himself in his armor. "Keep her safe, Marida. I'll take him somewhere isolated where the others will join me," the boy said before the visor portion of his helmet slammed shut with a clank. Reaching out with Red aura, Izuku grasped the vile monster in human flesh and flew, moving to an area devoid of humans before he could break free.

He quickly found a mostly empty park. _"Please evacuate this park quickly. There is about to be a fight here, and I can't guarantee I'll be able to protect you all if you stay. Call the police and inform them that I'm fighting Overhaul,"_ Cobalt said to everyone currently in the park before creating several layers of green walls in an arena around the two of them as he landed, focusing on his desire to protect the innocent.

Overhaul rose from where he fell, and startled Izuku when he punched _through_ a green wall he'd put up between them. "Big mistake, hero. They won't even be able to recognize your corpse when I'm through with you, you diseased creature!" the villain roared, and Izuku suddenly realized something that he wished he'd known sooner.

_"My green aura's ability to protect weakens against those who are violently deranged! His conviction to cause pain is amplified by his mental state, and overpowers my desire to protect! I need to test something!"_ the teen thought to himself, sharing the thoughts with the relevant parties so that they'd know of this weakness as he fired Unit 2's hand off of him. "Rocket Punch!" he shouted as the golden fist slammed into his foe several times, before Overhaul swiped at it with his hand, and the fist was suddenly no more, shattering into pieces. _"That's not good! He just destroyed the left hand of my armor!"_

_"Just keep him occupied, but don't get close! We're nearly there, Cobalt!"_ Sir Nighteye's voice shouted as Izuku launched his shield bits, which began harassing the villain who, smelling blood in the water, began destroying the drone-like weapons as he advanced to his opponent.

This was not an opponent Cobalt could get complacent with.

Meanwhile, With Himiko And Eri

Himiko frowned as she learned of the new development, but she was currently occupied with something else. _"I'll be sending help soon, but first I need to deal with some trash,"_ the pro said as she refused to stop meeting her new charge's eyes. A wound in her side where some villain's oddly-shaped hair had stabbed her was bleeding slowly, her body slowed by his quirk. Linking minds with the girl before her, she did her best to keep her calm. _"Don't worry, Eri-chan. We're gonna be fine. Just focus on me, okay?"_ the fellow survivor said calmly, slowly turning her grimace into a smile, even as a gunshot went off and she felt her quirk erased.

Himiko had gotten out of her armor shortly after Izuku left, feeling it was important for the frightened girl to see her face. Unfortunately, as they were connecting, a few of Overhaul's cronies had emerged, and the first thing they did was slow her movements with one of their quirks. It really pissed her off. This girl was frightened enough already. _"Just focus on me. I'll show you the power of somebody who survives the kind of fucked up shit you've been through,"_ Marida said firmly as she refused to look away from the scared girl, arming Kshatriya's weapons as the goons continued their approach.

"You heroes have caused us a lot of trouble. If not for your value as a test subject, I'd kill you right now, hero," one of the yakuza said venomously, the hero in question scowling at the idea of being a lab rat again.

_"My name…"_ the pro snarled mentally as Kshatriya's mono-eye activated with an ominous sound, the armor standing at its full height as it covered the two survivors with its front wings. _"Is Himiko, you demented piece of shit."_

Red aura surged around Marida, moving her arms for her as she pulled the girl before her into a hug, and Kshatriya launched all twenty-four of its funnels, the drones quickly disarming and subduing the group of villains as Eri held onto her savior. Himiko simply smiled as she hugged the tiny unicorn. _'I'm adopting this tiny badass,'_ the blond empath thought to herself as she rubbed the child's back as best as her slowed body would allow her, twelve of her funnels shooting off into the distance to back up Cobalt.

With Cobalt's Group

The gathered heroes scowled at Overhaul, who had formed an enormous armored body out of a statue in the park and some sidewalk, along with various stones in the ground. He'd taken some Trigger before anyone could stop him, and now…

"Why did he have to turn himself into a Final Fantasy boss?" Bubble Girl lamented. Indeed, the grotesque exoskeleton was similar in form to several final bosses from the famous series. And currently, it was kicking their asses, flinging mounds of earth at them and forcing them on the defensive. Unit 2 had lost its left leg and right arm, and of course, the left hand was still gone. It was down to four shield bits, and one of its shields had been destroyed. The monstrosity controlled by Overhaul was seemingly impervious to their attacks.

Suddenly, Izuku was swallowed up by the ground beneath his feet, quickly finding himself held in place in front of Overhaul. "You've pissed me off, so I'll just kill you now and save myself the headache of risking your survival," the vile villain said ominously as he reached his hand out…

A sound like thunder was heard, and Izuku was flung away from the villain, a familiar shield having fallen from the sky and pierced the space between where he'd been held and Overhaul, severing the front of the man's earthen armor. Unit 0, no, _Ao,_ descended from the sky, Red aura surging around his form. "That's my baby brother you just tried to kill. Don't make me guilty of any more crimes, you piece of shit, because I will gladly end your life before I let you end his," the machine spoke for him, in a voice eerily similar to Izuku's own, before its head looked into the distance, and Izuku could feel his relief. "Well, good to know I'm not needed here anymore. Have fun in Tartarus, you absolute dick waffle," Ao said before rocketing back up into space, his shield following him.

A second thunderclap was heard, and when the dust settled, another hero rose. **"Have no fear, my fellow heroes. I am here!"** the number one hero said, gazing fondly at his former sidekick and the others nearby. _"Young Midoriya, Mirai-kun, young Uraraka. I have one fight left in me before All for One is gone from my body. Please, fight alongside me!"_ the number one stated as he gazed at the three of them.

With everybody's confidence bolstered by the appearance of the Number One hero, Mirai patted his colleagues and interns on the back as he passed them and reached his hand out to his partner, the great hero grasping the lanky man's hand with a grin. Mirai's eye flashed purple for an instant, and he grinned. "Kick his ass, All Might," Sir Nighteye said as he relayed what he saw to the others, looking five minutes into the future for each of them

Encouraged even further by the victorious future they saw, the heroes flew into action. His sudden boost of courage made Cobalt's barriers somewhat effective again, able to withstand five blows before being destroyed. Layered with multiple green aura exoskeletons, the pros began attacking the villain before them anew, quickly removing him from the earthen armor he'd formed with a mighty blow from All Might.

Suddenly back in his skinny form, Toshinori felt a ghostly gloved pat on his back, an orb of purple entering his body before shifting to yellow, and flying off to Izuku and shifting green. "DETROIT SMASH!" Izuku roared as he uppercutted the villain, sending him skyward, and Toshinori saw the orb of green fly even further up, shifting to pink as it entered its final host.

Uravity descended from the heavens, fist pulled back and pink veins of power coursing through her body. "METEOR SMAAAASH!" she roared as she sent Overhaul tumbling back down to earth, slowing him with green aura before he could hit the ground as she sensed the man losing consciousness.

As Toshinori Yagi rose, skinny and decrepit, his former sidekick placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. The two gazed proudly as Mirio walked his two kohais through first aid, the three making sure their captive was healthy enough to be restrained before cuffing him. Funnels from Marida hovered nearby cautiously just in case. "I don't think I'm ready to let them go, Mirai-kun," the ham said as he teared up.

Doing his best not to join his teacher in crying, Sir Nighteye simply quoted a wise Jedi master. "We are what they grow beyond. That is the burden of all masters," the foresight user responded fondly as police officers drew near along with paramedics.

Back In The Future, With Eri And Himiko

Himiko smiled fondly at Eri, who looked up at her with wide eyes. "You think I'm a badass?" the girl asked, causing her adoptive mother to laugh with gusto at her cursing, despite knowing she'd have to convince her not to say that anymore.

"Sweetie, I _know_ you're a badass. No uncertainties at all there. Now come give your mother a hug, you adorable little unicorn!" the blond exclaimed as she opened her arms and her heart to her daughter, the girl running to the woman and leaping into her embrace.

"I heard somebody say hugs, and came as quickly as I could! _Oh my god, that's so adorable! Gimme your phone! I'll take a pic when you get in there!"_ Jin exclaimed, spawning a double who took his phone as he made the hug into a family hug.

"Papa!" Eri squealed with delight as the blond joined his wife and daughter in their joy. Many adorable, happy photos were taken by the clone.

Eri's new life was just beginning, and it was looking to be a good one.


	27. Chapter 27

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-seven_

A/N: Mostly gonna be downtime this chapter. It'll primarily be original stuff, a bit of the characters interacting and just being happy for the most part. Stuff will be slowing down here now, so for those who were here for my crappy fight scenes, thanks for sticking around this long, LOL. Thanks again to my editors, my readers, my friends, and all that jazz. Stay safe and healthy through this pandemic, and for Dog's sake, please wear a mask! Don't make pupper sad!

"Normal speech."

**"AI/SHOOOOTOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

"Twice Prime speech. _Into Other Twice's speech. __**Into Other Twice's speech."**_

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

Shortly After Internships Ended

Izuku sat happily in the common room with his newly-made niece, doing the girl's hair. He found he was surprisingly good at it, and spending time with Eri just made him smile when she was also in a good mood. She was still a little afraid of Fumikage and Dark Shadow, to the brothers' dismay, but they were working on it.

When the girl's grandfather, the _actual_ boss of the Eight Precepts, had been brought out of his coma and learned the extent of what had been done to the girl, he readily released her into U.A.'s custody, knowing Eri could never be happy with him. Not long after that, Himiko made good on her vow, and adopted the tiny single-horned girl. It wasn't long after that that the short woman got married to Jin, having a small, private ceremony on Selkie's boat. Many wondered over her decision to do this, but it was simply so that Ao could be part of the ceremony without needing to worry too much about being caught. He surprised several of them by submerging when leaving this time instead of rocketing into orbit. Izuku, Himiko, and their partners were shown beautiful imagery from underwater later on through the boy's link to them.

All in all, things were very nice right now. All Might was retired, but he and Endeavor were confident in the next generation, and Endeavor was doing his best to be worthy of the number one spot until they were all ready. Izuku smiled down at the tyke in his lap. "All done, Eri-chan!" he said happily. He had done the girl's hair into a single, long braid, which she delighted in swinging around in front of her for a minute before turning to him shyly.

"Th-thank you, Unca Zuku," she said politely, bowing slightly. The boy found himself wrapped in a hug, the little unicorn suddenly attaching herself to him. He gladly returned the hug, patting her back gently. He couldn't wait until they coaxed a proper smile out of her. She could imitate one just fine, but the two empaths in her life could tell she was just trying to make them less worried about her.

The verdette released the tiny tot, who ran over to her mama and papa to show off her new hairdo. "That's so pretty, Eri-chan! Would you like to go outside and play a bit, or do you want to stay in here?" the shorter blond asked.

"Outside," Eri said softly, then began running to the door, only to trip. She did not fall, however, Izuku and Himiko both grasping her gently with their respective auras and setting her back down. The albino source of cuteness turned around and bowed to them with a tiny thank you. It was a bit worrisome that she was so quiet, but Recovery Girl assured them all that they're lucky she's speaking at all, the elder hero knowing exactly what such trauma can do to a child. Himiko simply reiterated her previous assertion, that her kid's a badass.

Izuku didn't need any sort of premonition quirk to know that the little girl heading outside with her new parents would make many people very happy someday. She already brought joy with her wherever she went, even if she herself was having trouble feeling it still.

From the dining area, Ochako had watched the whole thing, doing her utmost not to squeal with joy at the adorableness. She was so enamored with the sight of her boyfriend doing his niece's hair, she didn't notice Mina and Tooru sniggering nearby. "So, Ochako-chan. Good to know Midori-kun's so good with kids, am I right?" the horned pinkette teased with a grin.

"Yeah, that's prime husband material right there. You're lucky he's Ochakosexual, otherwise somebody else might have decided to grab him up," the occasionally-invisible redhead commented with a giggle.

Their current teasing victim rolled her eyes. "Apparently, and he's only just recently had this realization, he might be demisexual. His basis for this is that he hasn't exactly had _that_ kind of reaction until after he met and got to know me," the girl admitted with a blush, before sputtering and crying out, "WAIT, WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS?! CEILING JAIL, BOTH OF YOU!"

The teasing terrors laughed uproariously as they floated up to their incarceration, no feelings of regret in their hearts whatsoever. Uravity sighed in exasperation as she turned to the boy who held her heart, frowning as she managed to spot the grey at the base of his hair. Green aura floated around her in an empathic hug, her boyfriend turning to her with an apologetic smile.

A Few Hours Later

It had taken a lot of patience, and a few failed attempts, but Ochako had done it. It wasn't official, but she'd made what was probably the first piece of Cobalt merch that would ever be made. The tricky part had been keeping it from her boyfriend, honestly. The tiny plush looked up at her with button eyes and carefully stitched freckles, a smile on his face that didn't do the original justice, but made her heart melt at its resemblance regardless. She had made the body with green fabric, knowing he'd appreciate his mother's gift to him being featured in its making.

Now, the real question was how to give it to him inconspicuously. She loved Mina and Tooru dearly, but she really didn't want to deal with their teasing when she gave him this. She'd call him to come to her room, but that would involve him going over to the girls' side of the dorms, and her letting him in, which would draw the attention of the teasing twosome. Having somebody else hand it to him was unacceptable as well. She _needs_ to see his face light up when he gets it.

She likes sweet things. So sue her.

The girl of infinity sighed. "I should just ask Tsu-chan," the girl said, before cleaning the mess left from making the plush and opening the door, only to find Tsu just about to pass her dorm room. "Oh, wow, that's some crazy timing. Tsu-chan, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure thing, kero," the Rainy Season Hero replied with a smile as she was let in. The two girls giggled a little as Kyoka walked past with an electrified Denki obediently following her, wheyying as he went. As soon as the door was closed, the frog girl asked her friend, "What do you need, Ochako-chan? It's not about girls' movie night or anything, is it?"

The brunette teen shook her head. "No, though now that I think about it, we should talk about adding Eri-chan to that later, and look for some kid-friendly movies," Ochako suggested, to which the black-haired girl nodded. "I made something special for Izuku, and I wanna give it to him, but I also _really_ don't want Mina-chan and Tooru-chan teasing us about it, so I'm trying to figure out a way to give it to him in private, and soon."

"And you don't want to get their attention by letting him into the girls' side of the dorms," Froppy said simply, to which her friend nodded, and the amphibious girl stated the obvious. "Ochako-chan, just ask him to come to your window. He can fly, remember? Pardon the pun, but Uravity, you're a real space case, kero."

The brunette was about to thank her friend when a soft knocking was heard on the balcony door. The two girls blinked, and Ochako peeled open the window to spot her boyfriend by the door. _"Um, sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but Jirou-san said you wanted to see me, Ochako?"_

Uravity wasted little time letting the boy in, Tsuyu seeing herself out, keroing in a Froppy giggle. "I'm gonna have to talk to Kyoka-chan about listening in on the conversations of others after I'm done thanking her," the rosy-cheeked girl said with a roll of her eyes, quickly grabbing the plush and moving it behind her, where Izuku couldn't see it.

"Um, well, yer debut happened recently, and they're gonna be makin' Cobalt merch soon, I bet, so I was kinda on a time crunch when I made this…" the brunette said shyly, a silly smile on her face as she pulled out the mini Cobalt, which was almost as soft as the sweet boy before her. "If I'm right, this is the first piece of Cobalt merch ever...I was hopin' it'd make ya happy."

Izuku gasped softly as he gently accepted the plush, holding it like it was sacred. "Ochako...Thank you. I can actually feel the love and effort that went into this. It's...Oh wow...I can't even begin to top this with the one I'm making of you," the boy commented with a blush and a quivering smile, doing his best to keep from filling his girlfriend's room with water.

The flipper of gravitational forces blinked. "Wait, yer makin' _me_ one, too? Seriously?" the girl exclaimed in disbelief.

The teary-eyed boy nodded, pulling out his phone and opening a page he bookmarked. "You weren't talked about as much since you didn't fight as long as I did, but Uravity debuted that day, too!" the boy said with a happy smile, holding his phone out to show a photo of the girl descending from the heavens, surrounded in pink energy as she whallopped Overhaul.

**A Heavenly Hero Descends to Save Us All; Uravity, the Gravity Hero!**

The brunette's eyes widened. "I look like a badass," she said with a bit of a grin. Her boyfriend nodded in agreement. She truly did look badass. Izuku smiled bashfully and reached out in the direction of her balcony, his green aura extending out beyond it.

A minute or so later, the balcony door opened, and in floated a partially-made Uravity plush. With a fond smile, the boy showed it to her. "I'm still considering whether to make plastic versions of your boots and helmet, or just make plush boots. I'm really proud of how your hands came out, though," the boy explained nervously, letting her know immediately why the bottom half of the plush's legs were missing, and showing off the mitt-like hands with ten tiny pink spots where her fingertips would be. "I still really like the feeling of holding your hands, so I _had_ to put your finger pads on it."

The boy was startled when he found his world, or at least his gravitational pull, flipped on its head. He was pinned against the ceiling, with his girlfriend grinning at him. "You really know how to make me happy, Izuku," the girl said cheerfully, before slowly lowering (raising?) her head to his, giving him ample time to tell her no if he wanted to. However...he wasn't going to tell her no.

Their lips met, somewhat clumsily, and then parted, the two gazing in their partner's eyes. Green eyes sought padded fingertips, and sensing her boyfriend's desire, Ochako took his hand in hers, their fingers intertwining as the verdette moved his lips to hers, deciding to initiate this time. Brown eyes gazed into green ones, and for a moment, there was nothing but the two of them. Their feelings, thoughts, hopes and dreams, all flowed freely between the two, an aura of blue exploding from them and encompassing the building, causing some of their classmates to laugh at the silliness of it all.

Before long, though, the two came back down from their emotional high, as well as the ceiling. Picking both plushies up off the floor, Izuku grinned at his dear friend. "I'll talk to you later, Ochako. Thanks for...everything, really. Looking forward to more!" the freckled boy exclaimed as he zoomed out her window and into the sky with a shout of euphoria. Ochako ran out to the balcony and grinned after her boyfriend, who began writing a message in the sky.

Uravity is the best girlfriend ever!

The best girlfriend ever laughed at her corny boyfriend, before heading back inside. She'd need to thank Crust for preventing their almost first kiss. This one was vastly superior to what that would have been.

The Next Day, Around Lunchtime

Himiko smiled at her husband and daughter. The woman had requested a day to spoil the girl, and so she was excused from class for the day. It helps that Eraserhead was fond of kids, even if he'd only ever tell one or two people this fact in his entire lifetime. The family of three was having a picnic lunch at the Dagobah Municipal Beach Park, Himiko happily explaining the significance of the state of the beach to her little unicorn daughter.

The girl's eyes widened upon being shown through her mother's memories what the beach used to look like. "Unca Zuku cleaned all of that? Wow," the albino source of cuteness spoke in awe.

Himiko nodded. "Yeah. He was like a noodle when he started. A wimp with crazy determination and a heart of gold. Ten months later, and he's got muscles like your papa," the empath said with a grin as the man in question spawned four clones and did the Ginyuu Force poses with them, showing off his musculature with five mad grins.

Eri looked from her papa and his clones to her mama, a bit of confusion on her face. "Papa's silly," she said before going back to her meal, the clones all falling apart while the original fell on his face.

"She's so brutal. _Brutally honest, you mean! __**Don't feel bad. You know she loves you,"**_ the man and two of his alternate selves said, making his wife giggle at him as she patted their kid's head. The nine-year-old in question reached out to her papa, the man complying and sitting down next to her as she did her best to wrap her tiny arms around him. "You're right, other me! This girl is just full of love! _Told ya, you goof. __**Shut up and hug her back, dangit. You know she loves hugs."**_

The tiny tot let out a happy sigh as she was wrapped up in the arms of her parents. She looked back and forth between the two, and asked, "Mama? Papa? How did you meet?"

Himiko grinned at her daughter. "I'm really lucky you're as brave as you are. The story might have been too scary otherwise. It's not exactly long, but if you need me to stop at any point, just let me know," the shorter of the two blonds said. "It was about seven years ago…"

Seven Years Ago, In A Rundown Building

Jin Bubaigawara was _not_ having a good day. _'This is definitely karma for all the things I stole,'_ the man thought to himself from where he was tied down to a chair while all of his clones argued among themselves, determined to figure out which of them was the real Jin.

"I'm the real one!"

"Shut up! It's obviously me!"

"Fuck all of you, I'm real!"

Jin sighed, and looked down at his lap. _'I _feel_ like I'm the real one, but what if I'm wrong? What if one of them is the real one?'_ he wondered forlornly.

The debating doppelgangers were interrupted by a door quietly opening and shutting. A grumpy looking girl walked in. "One of you morons stole my mom's purse. Would you mind giving it back? I'd rather not fight you all when you're as agitated as you are," the little girl requested with a bit of a scowl.

"I'm not a moron! Don't lump me in with these guys!"

"Apologize, you rude child!"

"WAIT!"

The doppelgangers turned to the one in the chair, who had cried out. "She might be able to help us! A brat like her won't be afraid to lie to us, after all, as long as we don't scare her, so calm down, guys!" Jin elaborated, looking pleadingly at his clones, who began to calm down, realizing the merit of his idea.

"Yeah, she could tell us, definitely!"

"Sorry, kid. We're really high strung right now."

"Do you know which of us is the real one? Which of us is Jin?"

The girl sighed, then began walking from double to double, each waiting patiently for her to finish her rounds. Soon enough, she'd looked over all of them, then went back to her original position. "I'm gonna be honest, you're _all_ the real one. No, don't interrupt me! I've got the ability to read minds and crap. You all have your own individual thoughts and feelings, you all fear death, and you all have hopes and dreams. Some of you share bits and pieces with the others, and some of you don't. As far as I'm concerned, you're all different versions of the real Jin-san. If you wanna know the one that came from a womb and not another Jin, though, it's the one in the chair," the girl explained, gazing at each of them at least once as she spoke, then with smirk, she added, "Also, I'm not a brat. I'm twenty-one, you mooks. Crazy bullshit experiments mean I age at half the speed of normal people."

Jin, all of him, gaped at her. "She's like an angel sent to save us from ourselves," one of them said, before another added, "She's here for her mom's purse! Show her the stash! If we're lucky, it's still here!"

Before long, the girl had obtained her mother's purse, and stood before Jin Prime, as she dubbed him. "That...was nice. I liked helping you," the young woman said with a smile, before she squeaked as the man got down to her height and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you so much, small badass," Jin said with tears in his eyes.

The short, awesome creature giggled. "I have a name, Jin-kun. My name is Himiko," she said with a smile, then the two were startled when red aura flooded the area, and before they could properly react, it was gone.

"Huh, that was weird. You guys should skedaddle soon, though. The police know you're here. Leave the money and crap, though. My mom's a pretty important pro hero. I'll let her know you were considering turning over a new leaf so she can put in a good word for you," the shorter of the two blonds said with a smile.

"Thank you, Himiko-chan," every Jin said as one as they gradually merged with the original. The two young adults didn't know it then, but it was the start of something very special.

Present Day

"The next day, we woke up, and I had one more voice in my head than I had the day before!" Jin finished off, a grin on his face at the thought. "It was really weird for a bit, but the Bond thing is pretty neat."

Eri simply tightened her hold on her parents. "Thanks for the story, Mama, Papa," the girl said softly, before letting out a shriek of fear as a villain with a gigantification quirk exploded out of the water, frightening nearly everybody on the beach.

With a sigh, Himiko rose. "Jin, keep an eye on Eri-chan. Duty calls," the fanged girl said with a roll of her eyes.

The doppelganger deployer picked his daughter up. "Come on, Eri-chan. Let's find a good spot to watch Mama! _KICK HIS ASS, MARIDA-CHAN!"_ Jin said as he moved away with the adorable tiny tot.

Kshatriya emerged from cloaking, having been nearby the whole time, and Marida suited up. "Before this is all over, somebody's gonna be screaming timber!" she roared as she flew at her opponent.

About Half An Hour Later, In Mei's Workshop

"So _that's_ how seaweed got on it!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. There's some sand in it, too. Do you mind cleaning it for me?"

Mei Hatsume waved her friend off. "Pfft. Don't worry about it. Nothing an acid bath won't fix. Just need to be sure I dry it thoroughly. Don't need it leaving weird footprints like last time," the goggled girl replied with a grin, then got a serious look on her face and asked, "More importantly, how did she like the gift?"

Himiko smiled softly. "I didn't give it to her," she said, then interrupted her friend's attempted shout with a finger to her mouth. "I think you should be the one to give it to her, honestly. She'll be really happy to get her first present from her godmother," the slit-eyed girl said with a fanged grin.

The rosette's eyes widened. "Wait...Y-you want..._me…_ to be her godmother?" the Hatsume genius asked, tears forming in her eyes.

Himiko nodded. "Definitely. It has to be you, Meimei. After all, you found me when I was in the dark. I know you're someone Eri-chan will come to love," the fanged empath said with absolute certainty.

Mei leaped at her dear friend, arms outstretched. "Ko-chan! Thank you so, so much!" the girl exclaimed.

"Get offa me, Meimei! You're covered in machine innards and sweat!"

"NEVEEEER!"

That Evening, In The 1-A Common Room

Eri was sitting down with her mama and papa, several of her aunts and uncles chatting and studying nearby. The evening news was on, and they'd just gotten done reporting on Marida's swift victory against the villain from earlier in the day.

"Wow, Dagobah Beach looks so nice now. I heard it was a dump for a really long time. Good job, Midoriya-san!" Hanta said with a grin.

"Can we just talk for a minute about how badass Himiko-chan was there? That villain was all like, 'come get me, tiny hero,' and she just decked him in the schnozz! Her armor only got messed up because his dumb, unconscious self grabbed her when he fell!" Mina exclaimed with a laugh.

Izuku created a tiny stick figure out of green aura to reenact the scene. "Waaaahh!" he yelled with a bit of a laugh as he faked falling over when he was punched by his temporary construct, the rest of the class applauding his goofiness.

The door to the building slammed open, Mei entering with a box under one arm. "I heard some of you degenerates are into hand-holding!" she shouted as she let herself in, causing several of the students to blush as the others teased them. She quickly made her way over to the family of three, sitting down and setting the box down in front of Eri. "I made ya something, Eri-chan! I asked your mama to give it to you, but she insisted I give it to you myself, so here ya go!"

Eri looked at the colorfully wrapped box in confusion. "For me?" she asked softly, to which, Mei, Jin, and Himiko all nodded. Everybody quieted down as they watched with anticipation, the tiny tot meticulously unwrapping her gift, before discarding the wrapping paper. The box fell over away from her, and something green rolled out.

"Haro! Eri-chan! Haro friend! Eri-chan friend!" the large, ball-shaped robot chirped as it rolled over to its new owner, opening up to show a computer screen and keyboard and mouse interface. "Wanna play? Wanna play?"

Eri blinked at it, before patting the AI. "We can play a game later, Haro-chan. Thanks for being my friend," the girl said, before turning to Mei and wrapping her in a hug. "Thank you, Aunty Meimei," she said softly, the rosette returning the hug with glee.

"Oooh, you give great hugs, Eri-chan! Thank _you!"_ the visually gifted mechanic exclaimed with joy, eventually releasing the little girl who ran off to the other side of the room to get to know her new friend.

As the day ended, a silent agreement was made by everybody in the room. Eri was to be treasured. Thus, the Eri Protection Squad was formed.


	28. Chapter 28

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-eight_

A/N: Yeah, I mostly have no idea where I'm going with this henceforth, but I love the characters, so Imma keep with it. Suggestions would be nice for character interactions, if you, the readers, have any. For now, I'll focus on writing a happy conclusion that allows for further writing of fluffy goodness. Also, GODDAMNIT, NAPPA! I've been spelling Aurek wrong this whole blighted time!

"Normal speech."

**"AI/SHOOOOTOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

"Twice Prime speech. _Followed by Other Twice speech. __**Followed by Other Other Twice speech."**_

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

A Day After The End Of Last Chapter

Himiko frowned, hidden from the sight of her daughter. _'She needs to experience joy. This poor girl hasn't been saved yet,'_ she who was once Aurek thought forlornly. The girl was running around with Haro, chasing it, but Himiko could tell she was just trying to prevent the others from worrying.

Sensing for her husband, who was almost done in the shower, the blond came out of cloaking around a corner and greeted her child as if she hadn't already been there. "I'm going back to class today, sweetie. Be good for Papa, all right?"

"You don't have to do that."

Himiko blinked, startled at her daughter's response. "What are you talking about, Eri-chan?" the fanged girl asked, doing her best not to tear up. She knew what she was talking about. Why did she ask her like that? The cat-eyed girl cursed herself internally as her tiny badass turned to look her in the eyes.

"You don't have to act like everything's okay. I know you're worried about me, and I'm glad you care, but I don't know if I can smile like you and Papa and everybody else wants me to," the frighteningly mature nine-year-old elaborated, prompting Himiko to rush to her, getting on her knees and wrapping the child in a hug.

"Don't give up. Don't you dare give up. You're so close, Eri-chan. You'll be able to smile for real soon, I know it!" Himiko wept, holding her daughter tight.

Eri sniffled and returned her mama's hug. She loved her new family, but the hurt she'd been carrying for so long wouldn't go away so soon.

Several Hours Later, In Gym Gamma

Izuku was flung back by Momo, who had been absolutely destroying him thus far in their spar. The girl had formed a staff and was showing off her bojutsu techniques. The two of them had limited themselves to melee attacks, and while neither showed any signs of slowing down, it was clear that President Skroob was the superior weapons master. If not for the nature of Izuku's energy rods, he was certain she would have disarmed him several times now.

Finding himself on his back with the end of his opponent's staff in his face, Izuku held up his hands in surrender. Yaomomo helped the armored teen to his feet, not bothered at all by the extra weight of the armor. "You were sloppier than usual, Midoriya-kun. Is something bothering you?" the Class President asked with a worried frown.

Izuku floated his helmet off, letting it hover nearby as he wiped his face clean of sweat. "I'm just scared that we won't be able to help Eri-chan like she deserves. I was hoping that we'd be able to make her happy with what we've got planned for the Culture Festival, but that's still two weeks away! She shouldn't have to wait that long-WAAAAAH!" the green-haired teen complained, then shrieked when he felt something small and cold dropped down his back. Turning around, he couldn't help but laugh just a little. "Shoto-kun! That came out of nowhere! I'm glad you're playing practical jokes on your friends, but I have to ask, who put you up to that?"

The half and half culprit pointed over at Aoyama, the knight-themed teen twinkling with delight. "Aoyama-kun saw you were sad, and he suggested I surprise you with a prank. I saw the ice prank at movie night recently, so I figured that'd work well," Shoto answered with a small smile.

Izuku blinked. "I'm so happy I'm surrounded by such good friends. You and Aoyama-kun just gave me an idea, too! We'll do something with Eri-chan that'll get her so into it she forgets all about that bastard Overhaul!" he exclaimed excitedly before frowning and asking aloud, "The question is, what should we do for that? It can't just be movie night. We might get distracted and not notice how she's feeling. It should probably be something really exciting, that keeps her on her toes…"

As Izuku entered a mumblestorm, his friends stopped for a second before Katsuki shouted, "President Skroob! You're closest! You're on fucking mumble duty!"

Momo rolled her eyes before producing a tiny bottle of smelling salts with her quirk, opening it beneath Izuku's nose. The teen jumped back in shock, before the P.A. system went nutty for a second and he actually fell over. **"Midoriya-chan! Get outside! I just finished something that should help with Eri-chan's frowning problem, but it's not something I can give to you indoors!"**

"Two thousand yen says it's a goddamn life-size motherfucking gundam!"

"Bakugou-san, there's no way-"

**THUD!**

Momo's statement was interrupted by the sound of something _big_ hitting the ground outside, a replica of Unit 2's helmet peering in from one of the upper windows, except...a lot bigger than the one hovering near Izuku himself. Katsuki's grin turned malicious. **"You owe me money, President Skroob,"** he stated ominously before going back to his drills.

Toshinori, who had been standing on the sidelines and keeping an eye on the students, sighed as he approached Izuku. "Young Midoriya, if that gargantuan device can help Young Shuuzenji smile, you are excused to help her. Here's a hall pass in case you're late for your next class," the former number one hero said with a smile, quickly giving his student said hall pass before the verdette walked outside, finding a 1/1 scale Gundam Phenex kneeling as Mei descended via a rope ladder that she quickly detached.

Pulling her goggles off, the mad engineer grinned at her friend. "Don't bother taking Unit 2 in there with you this time. Eri-chan would probably appreciate sitting next to you without the armor, after all. Now, I've always wanted to say these words. **GET IN THE GUNDAM!"** the manic mechanic shouted, roaring with maniacal laughter as Izuku rolled his eyes and did as she instructed, floating up and into the machine clad in the green undersuit of his hero costume.

It didn't take long for Izuku to figure out which of the two seats he was meant to sit in, only one of them having a plug for his port. Taking a seat and allowing the machine to synchronize with him through his less sneakily altered costume (He'd wondered for a while how Unit 0 had synchronized with him without leaving a gaping hole in his costume), the boy quickly found he was much larger than he was used to, his control going from control of his body to control of the ACTUAL FUCKING GUNDAM WHAT THE FUCK, MEI-SAN?

"Judging by the bit of stumbling you just did, you're not used to your center of gravity right now. I have to insist you pick Eri-chan up with your aura and not your big, mechanical hands. Make sure she's got the safety harness on before you go anywhere! Go save her, big guy!" Mei called out from where she had retreated to when he began stumbling.

Izuku quickly got airborne, since he couldn't stumble if he wasn't on the ground. _"I'll see you later, Mei-san! Thank you so much!"_ he exclaimed as a streak of crimson blew past both of them, heading for the dorms.

Mei cackled. "You can thank me by having Ochako-chan, Ko-chan, and me over later to watch the rest of Gundam UC! Not Eri-chan, though. She might get triggered by that stuff," the rosette called out as he slowly hovered over to the yard in front of Alliance Heights.

The teen in the body of a giant fucking robot stood incredibly still as Himiko hovered up to the cockpit area with Eri in her arms. "Knock-knock! Did somebody order an adorable unicorn girl?" Himiko said with a giggle as Izuku figured out how to open the cockpit. It was surprisingly easy, in the end. He waited for a bit, sensing the two inside his mechanical chest through his esper powers. Eventually, his sister spoke from within him. _"She's all strapped in. Have fun you two, and don't fly close to any buildings!"_ the blond said mirthfully as she hovered out of the cockpit, which soon closed shut.

Izuku felt a ghostly tingle in his hand, and realized that Eri must have been holding his flesh and blood hand inside of the cockpit. _"Thank you for doing this for me, Uncle Izuku,"_ he heard her say, the girl having had more than enough practice to speak telepathically with him and her mother by now. The boy could sense a hint of anxiousness and worry, but along with that, he sensed something else, something that filled his heart to the brim, and was probably causing his real body to start tearing up.

He sensed her hope.

The joy of knowing that she was _hoping_ that this would make her happy had his soul bursting with euphoria, and he found himself jetting up into the sky, an aura of blue trailing behind him and transforming his body into the aura-enhanced form. When he was high enough that he didn't fear damaging any buildings nearby, he flew off! Into the distance, crossing back and forth over the entire Mustafar province, excitedly pointing certain places out to the girl, whose excitement he felt emerging, unable to remain caged within her heart. He flew over Dagobah Beach, he flew over Tatooine Market Street! He even flew past Alderaan Middle School, though he didn't bother pointing it out, and simply flipped it the bird in his head.

Eventually, he looked up, sensing something else that made him smile. _"Eri-chan, I'm gonna go really high up. Is that okay?"_ he asked the girl, not wanting to frighten her.

He could feel her smile, even if he couldn't see it. _"Do it, Uncle Izuku!"_

_"I HAVE NO MOUTH, AND I MUST GRIN!"_ Izuku roared over their bond as he twirled upwards, barrel rolling in the direction of the stars.

_"But you are grinning, Uncle Izuku!"_ he felt the girl's chirps of laughter even if he couldn't hear it, the ghostly grip on his hand tightening as they ascended.

Soon, they saw what he sought, Ao having descended to meet them. They hovered there for a moment, the ghost in the shell glowing blue as well as he knocked on his brother's mechanical head. _"I can feel Eri-chan in there! Hi, Eri-chan! I'd come in and give you a hug, but it'd be a bad idea to open that cockpit at this altitude! Let's just go flying for a bit, all right?"_ the machine-bound teen exclaimed as he jetted off, his little brother and niece in hot pursuit.

The trio's hearts sang with laughter and joy, and Izuku completely missed his next class. It's a good thing he was doing well in English. It also helps that Present Mic absolutely adores Eri.

That Weekend

Izuku, once again, did as Mei had asked, and invited their original watch group to watch the remaining episodes of the Gundam Unicorn series. Except, instead of it happening in his room, he commandeered the tv in the common room, not comfortable with the idea of having three pretty young ladies alone in a small room with him, even if one of them was his sister and thus 'not a threat'.

Several of their classmates decided to join in on the watch session, more to see the cinnamon roll's reactions than anything. Pretty much everybody there had already seen the series outside of him and Ochako.

Halfway through episode nineteen, though, they hit a snag that, honestly, Mei should have seen coming.

"Wait, Marida-san _dies?!"_ the verdette choked out, beginning to cry as Mei paused the show. The rosette was about to apologize, but before a word could escape her mouth, Izuku had flung himself at his sister, wrapping the startled woman into a hug. "Please don't die, Neechan! The hero Marida has to stay alive in this world! I'm not ready to say goodbye to you!" the boy wailed.

One or two of their classmates were about to tease Izuku about his worry, but thought better of it when Himiko levelled a glare at them, suddenly remembering that they felt things more than most people. It made sense he'd get a little irrational over this turn of events, in hindsight.

"Izuku-kun. Calm down and look into my heart. What do you see?" the cyber newtype hero said calmly as she embraced her baby brother.

It didn't take long for the freckled telepath to do as she asked. "I see Eri-chan, and Jin-san, and Mei-san. I see Ochako, I see my mom, I see Recovery Girl...I see all of us...Oh...Oh thank God...You have so much to live for, and you _know_ it, too…" the boy said softly, gradually calming down as Ochako pulled him off of his sister and placed his head in her lap, massaging his scalp.

The fanged blond sighed. "I do still have some days when I feel suicidal, but as long as I have all of you, I'll be able to pull out of that mindset. I just need you all to be there for me. As for villains, heh, just let them try to stop me. I basically have the powers of a shonen manga protagonist, and my badass baby brothers do as well," she finished with a grin and a poke to one of said baby brothers' cheeks.

Mei smiled at the adorable interactions of her friends. "Okay! Now that we got to witness Midoriya-chan basically be a human puppy, let's get back to the show!" the reticule-eyed girl joked as she unpaused the show, sitting noticeably closer to Himiko after that.

Not long after, the group of teens finished the series. "Kinda wish the only gay character in the show wasn't a complete prick of a villain," Hanta commented offhandedly.

Tsuyu sighed. "It was made in the twenty tens. LGBTQ+ weren't universally accepted back then, kero. I'm glad we've got that sorted out now. I really liked it, though. The music was great, and the animation was top-tier, too. Story wasn't that bad, either," the rainy season hero replied.

"The vastness of the void fills my heart with passion. I must go. My muse calls to me," Fumikage said with a smirk as he stalked off to his room to write some poetry.

Sugarman laughed as he grabbed the empty plate his cookies once occupied. "I clearly underestimated how much you guys love my cookies. I'll have to make more next time," the big guy said with a grin.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Sugarstacks, but fucking don't. They're absolutely delicious, and for hero students, that's a goddamn problem!" Katsuki called after him as he checked to make sure his abs were still intact.

"Yay! I get to work out with my hot, sweaty boyfriend more!" Tooru cheered, jumping up and down excitedly.

Katsuki rolled his eyes. "You're damn right, I'm hot. And I get to work out more with my hot, sweaty girlfriend. Isn't that right, Bright Eyes?" the red-eyed blond responded smugly.

The fuschia-haired girl grinned his way. "We're sexy and we know it!" she exclaimed, jumping onto the blast hero's back and pointing out ahead of them. "To Gym Gamma, my mighty steed!"

As Mei packed up her stuff, Izuku, Ochako, and Himiko had gone to the kitchen to do dishes. Or rather, Izuku and Ochako were going to do dishes, and Himiko was going to get something off her chest. Hovering so she was a bit higher off the ground than her baby brother, the adoptive mother of an albino unicorn girl patted the teens' heads affectionately. "Thanks for caring about me so much, Izuku-kun, Ochako-chan. I'm glad I have such good friends," she said with a bright grin.

The two teens began producing blue aura, both enjoying the woman's wholesome affection and the fact that they were able to help her as much as they were. "Aw shucks. Ya don't hafta thank us fer that, Himiko-chan!" the pink-cheeked brunette replied bashfully.

The cyber newtype hero let out a peal of laughter. "Call me Neechan, Ochako-chan! It's only appropriate for someone I adore so much who's dating my brother," the blond teased.

As Izuku tried his best to keep his blush under control as he sensed the feelings and thoughts running through his partner's head, Ochako let out a squawk of indignation. "We aren't hitched yet, Himiko-chan! I can't call ya Neechan!" she exclaimed, the rest of her face joining her cheeks in their pink hue.

Hovering upside down and facing both teens, Himiko grinned like a particularly mischievous cat. "The key word here being 'yet', Ochako-chan. In time, you will be calling me...sister…" she said, doing her best Emperor Palpatine impression in the second half of her statement. She cackled as she floated off to her room, the sight of the teens' fluorescent red faces searing itself into her heart and filling her with oodles of glee.

The young couple continued doing the dishes together, the silence between them loud with their confused, hopeful, and loving feelings. It didn't take long for them to come to a very certain conclusion.

_'She's/He's the only one for me.'_

This thought filled their minds and put silly grins on their faces as they continued their very domestic activity, fingers occasionally brushing when they went for the same plates. If the fact that this eventually led to very consensual hand holding later on is a problem for you, how have you been reading this for so long?


	29. Chapter 29

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Twenty-nine_

A/N: Thanks, all of you! Seriously! In the words of an angel among mortals, you're all breathtaking!

"Normal speech."

**"AI/SHOOOOOTOOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

"Twice Prime speech. _Other Twice speech. __**Other Other Twice speech."**_

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

The Morning After The End Of Last Chapter

Several of the late risers were awoken by a nervous voice in their heads. _"Sorry to bother you all! Yaoyorozu-san is calling for a mandatory class meeting in the common room! Please be here in the next five minutes! Sorry!"_ the vice rep said in their heads, sounding even more apologetic than usual. Much like Monoma, those who were a bit grumpy couldn't stay mad.

It didn't take long for the walking dead, as well as the early risers like Tenya, to make their way to the common room, where Izuku stood nervously next to a less nervous, but still fidgety Momo. The ponytailed genius coughed into her fist, then made her announcement. "It's come to my attention that at least one of the couples in the dorm has begun having thoughts of intimacy. I've no idea which one it is, but personally I congratulate your closeness. Before you get upset at Midoriya-kun, I was the one to ask him to check for such thoughts early on when we started living in the dorms. We are young teenagers with superpowers. It is important that our...sex...is both safe, and _safe._

"As such, I will encourage whichever couple, or couples, that are thinking of taking this step forward to speak with Recovery Girl. Several of us have quirks that could get in the way of intimacy, and that intimacy could get in the way of. Solutions exist for this, if you ask for them. Also, please don't bother me for a while, because something recently came to my attention that makes me incredibly angry at people I've never even met. Midoriya-kun, are you _sure_ you don't want me to make a doom laser to shoot your middle school with?" the tall teen completed her announcement with an offer to her vice rep, turning to the shorter teen with a murderous look in her eyes.

Midoriya twiddled his thumbs. "Believe me, I want that school gone, but you can't just make a death star to blow up Alderaan. It'd make me happy for two seconds before I realized someone got hurt in the explosion," the boy mumbled softly.

Katsuki was in front of his friend in seconds. "What the fuck did they do? Be honest with me, Izuku, or I'll find out from President Skroob instead, and she's grumpy enough already," the ash blond said with frightening calmness.

Nervous enough that his words became unintelligible, Izuku resorted to signing. 'I was kicked out of the classroom when they were going to teach sex ed. I technically still haven't been properly taught it. Might have learned my sexuality sooner if I'd been allowed in, now that I think about it,' he signed, having to repeat himself once or twice due to his fumbling hands.

**"SHITTY HAIR, KNOCK ME OUT QUICK, OR I'M GONNA GO COMMIT SUPER MURDER ON MY OLD MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACH-**unf," the blond roared before being interrupted by Kirishima doing as he asked.

The red head then looked Izuku in the eyes and said, "If it makes you more comfortable to learn it from someone you're not close to, my Mama's a nurse, and I can _definitely_ get her on the line in the next few days for it. Now do me a favor and don't let me outside, because _I wanna commit super murder too!"_

Ashido shouted with murderous glee. "All right! Class project! We're building a death star to blow up Alderaan Middle School!" she shouted.

Tooru flashed bright as she utilized her quirk. "I'll be the kyber crystal!" she whooped.

With a flourish, Aoyama took center stage. "I'll provide the focusing lens!"

As Izuku was doing his best to calm his joyously murderous classmates down, the television turned on, and Mei appeared shortly after, wearing Death Star Gunner cosplay. "Already working on the blueprints! The weapon will be designed to only work once, since we don't need that kind of firepower being weaponized, but we're gonna be blowing up Alderaan! WHOOOO!" the teen exclaimed with glee.

The cheers of the students were interrupted when the footage of Mei was pushed to one half of the screen, a figure shrouded in darkness appearing on the other part of the call. "Oh, but it wouldn't do for students of U.A. to wantonly destroy a middle school. We have to make it official business, so allow me to join! I do despise those who abuse children like this, after all," a familiar voice said, before a light shone on their mysterious ally, showing Nezu sipping from a cup of tea, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Izuku actually started crying as the shot of the principal panned out to show the other staff members in the room with him, looking incredibly livid, and he could _feel_ their protective rage. Tears and blue aura began flooding from his eyes and body respectively as pretty much everybody took turns giving the boy a quick hug, including Katsuki who, once again, was too angry to stay down. Turning to address Mei, Power Loader tsked a little. "Mei-san, I'm sorry, but you need to focus on the prosthetic bodies for those trapped within the nomu Kurogiri. Worry not, though. There is another," he said, referring to a foreign exchange student who would be landing at the airport in…

At A Nearby Airport

A blond, teal-eyed teenager descended the steps of the private jet, one of U.A.'s automatons waiting at the base while a few of its brethren gathered her things. Tapping a button on her scouter, Melissa Shield scanned the droids that would be her escort. "Hm, you could use some upgrades. That'll be fun, won't it, Droid-kun? Flight abilities, grapple arms, the whole shebang!" the girl spoke in near perfect Japanese, before gesturing to the power armor covering most of her body. "No reason I should have it and not you!"

The automaton in charge of walking with her changed its facial display to a smile. **"We are happy to host you, Shield-dono. Also, we appreciate the desire to upgrade our bodies. Hatsume-dono will appreciate a fellow tinkerer,"** the bot said in a monotone voice, despite the clear happy face on it.

Another bot nearby played a sound clip. "This is getting out of hand! Now, there are two of them!" it quoted, and Melissa and the other machines began laughing.

"Good to know you're programmed to make pop culture references already! Less work for me!" the girl said before taking a few of the bags herself and heading to where a bus was parked. She was really looking forward to seeing her Uncle Might again, as well as meeting his successors.

Back In The Common Room

With an apologetic look, Izuku produced a box that had been in the corner during this whole thing. "Um, wow, this is really embarrassing, but there are condoms and other sorts of contraceptives in here, and bracelets like Neechan has for each of you, in case your quirk is one that might harm your...partner. Except for Fumikage-kun, because of Dark Shadow being sentient, obviously," the boy explained with a bright red face as Tenya marched up to examine one of the aforementioned bracelets.

"So, these essentially make us quirkless when we wear them, Midoriya-kun?" the bespectacled hero asked curiously, to which Izuku nodded.

"Unless it's a mutation-type quirk, yes."

The second son of the Ingenium line nodded firmly. "Very well. I've decided," he said, then took a pair and put them on. "In solidarity for the years you went suffering from the stigma of quirklessness, I will spend the rest of the day wearing these! I will only remove them in an emergency!"

Izuku blinked as tears began emerging anew. In seconds, Ochako and Shoto had also put on their own pairs of bracelets. Not long after, everyone but Fumikage was wearing a pair, and Dark Shadow simply vowed he wouldn't help his brother with anything today outside of emergencies.

Every classmate affected by the bracelets quickly noticed something very obvious and very upsetting. "I don't actually feel any weaker," Ochako commented with a dark look.

The verdette who the sudden quirklessness was for poked his fingers together nervously. "There...honestly isn't much of a difference between someone with a quirk and someone without one, outside of the quirk itself. Even before I got my powers, I was able to take a punch just as well as, say, Ashido-chan. The main difference is the people doing the punching wouldn't have to worry about a counter with acid spray," the verdette explained.

Shoto raised a hand, as if asking for permission to speak. "Midoriya-kun, I want to commit arson against your middle school," the teen said with a blank stare.

"Shoto-kun, NO!"

"Shoto-kun, yes."

**"WRAAAAAAGH! SHITTY HAIR! WE'RE DOING QUIRKLESS BRAWLING! I NEED TO VENT MY RAGE!"**

**"YEAH, MEET ME OUTSIDE IN FIVE, BAKUBRO!"**

Himiko and Jin stared blankly at the angry teenagers, each lending a hand to cover their daughter's ears. _"I've heard every curse word in the book, Mama, Papa. Remember where I used to live,"_ the unicorn-haired girl said with a confused frown.

_"It's the principle of the matter, Eri-chan. You're nine. You shouldn't _have_ to be used to such things,"_ the fanged empath grumbled.

_"What are they angry about, anyway? His middle school couldn't have been that bad,"_ the doppelganger dad asked curiously.

Himiko rolled her eyes and shared the memories relevant to Izuku's time in elementary and middle school. A trio of clones spawned, and Jin gave the duty of covering Eri's ears entirely to his wife for a moment. The quartet hunched themselves to look more muscular and walked oddly over to the door leading outside. Twice Prime opened the door, and pointed accusingly outside, where the trio of clones marched, determined to commit vandalism against the school in question. The door was shut, and Himiko gave her husband The Look.

"What?"

"Bring them back."

"But-"

"Bring. Them. Back."

Jin harrumphed. "You're no fun sometimes," he said before the trio from before walked right back in, then walked right back in again, this time into the body of their creator.

Himiko rolled her eyes. "If you want in on the petty vengeance, join me and the others in building that death star they were talking about," she said with a smirk, having removed her hands from Eri's ears since the others had noticed her and ceased with the cursing.

The tiny albino in question made her way over to her overly-emotional uncle. "Did people hurt you too, Unca Zuku?" she asked softly, Haro rolling over to be with her.

The verdette, who was gradually losing that title, shook his head. "No, not like you were hurt, Eri-chan. What I went through was nothing compared to-" he went to say, but was interrupted when the tiny tot pulled him into a surprisingly tight hug.

"M' therapas says abuse is abuse, n' matter how bad. Your pain matters too, Unca Zuku," the girl mumbled from where her face was pressed against his shirt.

Izuku quickly got down to his niece's level and hugged her back. "Oh god, you're so sweet. Thank you, Eri-chan," he commented shakily. Finding a weight around his ankle, Izuku saw that Haro had mimicked their friend, a pair of tiny hands having extended out and wrapped the boy in a hug. "Thank you, too, Haro-chan."

What happened next had the class gasping and wishing one of them had been recording the event. Eri gave her uncle a quick peck on the cheek and smiled at him. "Love ya, Unca Zuku," she said shyly before running back to her mother and father, who were gazing at the girl in adoration.

Izuku was pulled out of his musings when his hand was grasped in another, Ochako pulling him up from where he'd been kneeling. "C'mon, let's get a run in together with Iida-kun. Maybe I can pass him now that we're quirkless for a day!" the girl exclaimed with a bright grin.

And so, the trio did just that. Ochako never did end up passing Tenya, but since the class decided they'd try this quirkless for a day thing annually while they were still here, she'd get another chance.

About An Hour And A Half Later, In Eijirou's Room

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, Mama. Yes, I know. Tell Ma I said I love her. Love you too, Mama," the softest of hard boys said, finishing his phone call with a smile before turning to his girlfriend, the pinkette grinning cheekily at him.

"You love your moms so much. It's really sweet," Mina said fondly, then teasingly added, "So, was I the only one thinking of doing sexy things, or…?"

Eijirou blushed. "I mean, it's kinda hard _not_ to think of that lately. You're just so damn hot, and when you took me down in sparring a few days ago, well…" The redhead trailed off, letting the implication speak for itself.

The alien queen giggled as she pulled her boyfriend into a hug. "I'm not up for going all the way, especially after being reminded by President Skroob that we're still young and all that, but we can do some intensive cuddling, if you want?" she suggested as she poked the manly man in the gut, causing him to chuckle a little as well.

"I wasn't thinking of going all the way either, honestly. How about after the intensive cuddling, we enjoy some _hand-holding?"_ he suggested with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Mina's eyes lit up. "Oooh! And we can give each other really nice compliments and stuff! I like how you think, Ei-kun!" she responded with glee.

And enjoy themselves they did. They would later make lunch for one another. Good stuff.

Half An Hour Later, Out On The Lawn

Izuku gazed at the clouds, lying on the grass as he scarfed down a banana. He couldn't see him from this distance, but he knew Ao was within his line of sight, just as he was in Ao's.

_"Just Gigantomachia left, then?"_ the younger brother asked, hope in his heart.

_"Yeah. Found Shimura in an abandoned warehouse. Just had to wait till he went to sleep, and bam. Ten minutes later, and he's in police custody. He should be in Tartarus at this very moment,"_ the machine-bound soul explained, then added wistfully, _"I can't wait to be done with all this so I can go home and act my age."_

The verdette down on earth smiled fondly. _"Mei-san is nearly done with the prosthetic bodies. They'll be able to smell, taste, feel, and everything. Apparently the technology already exists for turning biological matter into energy, so she's working on making a reactor small enough to fit in a body around my size. And you already know she's got sight and hearing figured out,"_ the freckled boy explained happily.

A feeling of awe flowed through their bond. _"The power of science is incredible. And speaking of incredible things, your cloud-gazing is about to be interrupted. Have fun, baby bro,"_ the teen in orbit said before becoming silent, the feeling of a grin finding its way through the bond as a familiar, brown-haired head popped into view above him with a smile attached.

"Wanna spar?" Ochako asked with a grin. "I can show you some techniques I learned from Gunhead."

Izuku nodded, and accepted his girlfriend's hand when she offered to help him off the ground. It didn't take long for the two of them to find a nice flat patch of grass (the area Izuku had been in wasn't open enough for their liking), and they stood opposite one another.

"Ready?"

"Always."

The two heroics students began exchanging blows, grins adorning their faces as they went at one another. It didn't take long for Uravity's superior technique to become evident, the girl pinning her boyfriend quickly. She quickly released him, and the two began anew.

This cycle continued for a while, until it became evident that the ninth inheritor had more stamina than the tenth, Ochako finding herself pinned beneath Izuku, the two staring into their partner's eyes. Izuku found his eyes drifting for a moment, then before she could blink, Uraraka no longer had her boyfriend pinning her, the grey and green haired boy suddenly turned around and poking his index fingers together nervously.

Sitting up, the gravity girl giggled at her suddenly shy boyfriend. "What spooked you? Did you realize I could get out of that or something?" the brunette asked.

Izuku couldn't form words in his shyness, so he simply showed her what he saw seconds before. Uraraka was now blushing bright red as well, turning around and adjusting her bra strap to no longer be visible. "S-sorry about that, Izuku," the girl stammered, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

The freckled empath shook his head. "No, I should be saying that, Ochako-chan," the boy muttered, using an honorific due to his shyness. "I saw something you didn't intend to show me…"

Chuckling nervously, Ochako tried to placate her boyfriend. "I mean, I didn't intend to show you stuff like that _today,_ but it's something we'll do eventually, right? Those...kinds of things…" she rambled nervously before realizing what she said.

Cobalt chuckled shyly. "I mean, Iida-kun _did_ say I'd need that body part someday," he joked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

It worked. The brunette was reminded of the event that prompted their classmate's comment. "I wonder how the little nutcracker is doing right now?" she said after her laughter died down.

Izuku smiled fondly. "I hope the Pussycats are doing all right, too. I wonder if Kota-chan would be a good friend for Eri-chan?" he wondered out loud.

Uravity grinned at the other half of Team G-Force. "We should totally see if we can get that to happen! Eri-chan needs some friends her age," she responded with a giggle.

The two teenagers laughed at the adorable images the idea put in their heads. And so, it would be done.

Meanwhile, In An Underground Laboratory

A teenager in power armor entered the lair of the mad one. A chair slowly swiveled around, its occupant grinning evilly at their visitor. "Welcome, Miss Shield. I have been expecting you. You no longer need those," Mei said, and with a wave of her gloved hand, the droids carrying her luggage skedaddled to deposit their cargo in the American's room.

With a look to either side of the door her visitor entered, the Hatsume protege commanded, "Guards. Leave us."

A pair of Zaku power armors obeyed her command, making their way out the door one at a time. Mei's goggles whirred as the girl grinned. "I look forward to aiding in your training. In time, you will be calling me...friend-o…" the rosette said ominously, before bursting into laughter, unable to keep a straight face anymore. Melissa joined her, peals of laughter roaring from her body.

The two mad geniuses cackled maniacally together. Surely, their foes were doomed...


	30. Chapter 30

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirty_

"Normal speech."

**"SHOOOOTOOOOO/AI/Kacchanese speech."**

"Twice Prime speech. _Other Twice speech. __**Other Other Twice speech."**_

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

**TRIGGER WARNING:** Depiction of a panic attack followed by a PTSD-related flashback involving human experimentation. It's short, but it's there. I will place **:TW:** before and after the portion in question for readers' convenience.

Teacher's Lounge, The Next Day

All Might sighed in contentment as he gazed out the window. The students were all working really hard on getting ready for the culture festival. The former number one hero had recently given Izuku a pass to head out and grab some supplies. The boy was taking a bit longer than he'd expected, but seeing as Ochako was fine and dandy, carrying around lumber five times her size at the moment, he felt safe in assuming everything was fine.

The phone on his desk rang, and Toshinori quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "That's odd. Why would a number from a warehouse be calling?" he wondered aloud, picking up the phone. "Hello, you've reached U.A. Yagi Toshinori speaking. What can I help you with?"

"We have your son."

"...I don't have a son."

"Oh, sorry. You just dote on him so frequently...Well, anyway, we kidnapped him, and he talked us down, so could you send someone to pick him up? We'd drop him off ourselves, but the car's having issues," the would-be kidnapper explained apologetically.

Toshinori blinked. "Oh my god, you have young Midoriya," he said softly.

"Yeah, that's his name. We were gonna ransom him to make some money, but he talked us down. He's playing checkers with one of the guys right now, but I don't feel right just sending him back on his own. The address we're at is-"

"Don't worry, I have your location already. I'll be there shortly, though you'll forgive me my escort. I'm not exactly in fighting shape anymore, and they won't let me go anywhere alone. Thank you for doing the right thing, young man," the former pro said with a smile filled with pride.

Hanging up the phone, Toshinori made a mental note to go over de-escalation tactics with his students later. Apparently, at least one of them was excellent with them already.

Around An Hour Later

"A little to the left! Okay, back a bit! Perfect, set them down!" a student from 1-D called out as Izuku did as the teen instructed. After getting kidnapped and talking the young men down, the graying verdette was helping move heavy items with Phenex, using it as an exercise to get used to moving around in the machine. He'd tripped once or twice, and dropped things at least five times, but his aura prevented any actual damage occurring, allowing him to catch himself or his cargo before anybody was hurt.

Reaching out with his hand, he gave the student, who appeared incredibly tiny to him, a thumbs up, before carefully walking over to the lumber pile and turning around to get a better look at the stalls, keeping an eye out for groups that might need a bit of extra muscle. He suddenly sensed mild irritation through his Bond with Ochako, and he was sure his body was smiling wistfully.

_"Izukuuu! Mina-chan and Tooru-chan are teasing me again! I'm gonna hide in the cockpit with you!"_ the girl whined telepathically, and Izuku was sure the smile on his face turned into a grin. Soon enough, the girl had floated near enough that Izuku could reach out and touch her with his temporarily mechanical hand, the girl grabbing onto his outstretched finger to stop herself before clambering over to the cockpit, which he happily opened, shutting it quickly behind her in the hopes that her pursuers didn't see it happen.

If a giant robot could whistle inconspicuously, Phenex would be doing so right this very second.

Izuku stood still for a bit until he sensed that Ochako had gotten herself properly strapped in, not wanting to fall over or anything with her inside. _"It's really nice in here. Good view of the outside, but none of the heat!"_ she said, and Izuku blushed as he felt the ghostly sensation of his real body being touched, his hand being occupied by hers.

_"I'd return the favor, but right now my body's basically asleep while I move around in this thing,"_ the freckled empath said with a smirk that hopefully found its way to his face. He suddenly felt a tingling on his cheek, and he realized Ochako must have been poking him.

_"You look so relaxed in here. Like, you're smiling sometimes, but most of the time it looks like you're asleep. You _have_ been sleeping well lately, right?"_ the brunette asked, concerned for him as always.

_"I have. Occasionally someone on campus has a nightmare that wakes me up, but I'm able to get back to sleep easily enough afterwards as long as it wasn't too violent. Eri-chan is the most frequent culprit, but Himiko-neechan and Jin-san are always with her at night, so I'm not worried,"_ Izuku answered, his sincerity making its way through the bond. A student from 2-C had caught his attention, and now he was on the move again, carrying a giant stone ball with a face carved into it.

Realizing that he needed to concentrate, Ochako stopped chatting for the moment, instead just enjoying holding her boyfriend's hand. As she sat with his mostly still body, the brunette concentrated on the feeling of his hand in hers. There were calluses that hadn't been there when they first started out, and looking at his knuckles, she found more wear and tear there.

The brunette looked at her own hand, which also bore the marks of hard work and effort. Her eyes were drawn to the pads on her fingertips, which had been incredibly tiny for a few minutes a month or so ago. Her quirk was pretty much completely reliant on One for All to function now. Frowning a bit, the girl gripped her partner's hand tighter. She was startled when the boy's eyes opened, and he reached out to gently flick her forehead.

"Don't be sad, Ochako. I don't regret letting go of One for All one bit. I know it's in good hands with you," he said softly, having sensed her sadness taking root and deciding to deal with it a bit more physically, if a finger flick could be considered that.

Ochako smiled at her freckled companion gratefully. "Thanks, Izuku," she replied softly as he synced with Phenex again, his body relaxing as his mind took control of the machine instead.

Before long, Mina and Tooru had made their way over, resulting in a comical chase that involved a clumsily running giant robot and two teenage girls teasing him and his girlfriend.

At The Gate Of U.A., With Eri And Haro

Eri gazed back and forth quietly, before making her way to the sidewalk on the outside of the U.A. barrier, her small robotic friend following quietly. She wasn't running away, no. In fact, she made sure Haro could help her find her way back before she even considered doing this. No, she just wanted to know what was outside of the walls of her new home, curiosity having eaten away at her for a little while now.

Free of the cage that was Kai Chisaki's laboratory, she wanted to enjoy her freedom. However, she didn't want to bother her mother or father, or any of her aunts or uncles, about this tiny excursion. So, when nobody was looking, she skittered away. She would have asked for someone to come with her, but everybody looked so busy!

The tiny girl gaped as she gazed at the area around her. "So many people," she murmured in amazement.

"Human population within five kilometers exceeds ten thousand, haro! Mustafar province is heavily populated! Many neighbors, haro!" the orb-shaped automaton chirped helpfully.

Eri smiled at her small companion, patting the top of their head. "You're so smart, Haro-chan!" she exclaimed with a tiny smile. The automaton flapped their tiny 'wings', appreciating the praise.

"You will be too. You will be too. Eri-chan still learning, haro! Eri-chan will get smarter!" the bouncing droid encouraged, before turning around and staring at seemingly nothing, then turning back to their friend. "Wanna keep going? Do a lap of U.A.?"

Eri nodded. Their exploration was pretty tame, the albino girl occasionally stopping to look at a fountain or interestingly clipped bush. Many of the people around her smiled her way and waved, the tiny tot shyly waving back to a few of them when she was feeling particularly bold.

Eventually, the pair found themselves in front of a tiny shop someone had set up, selling plushes of various heroes. Eri gazed at a plush of Marida with a tiny smile, before Haro interrupted her. "Eri-chan has allowance, haro! Eri-chan wanna buy?" her ball-shaped friend suggested, spinning around cutely.

The free girl nodded, grabbing the little plush and going to pay for it, before being waved off by the shopkeeper. "It's on the house," the man said with a smile and a wave, pocketing some money he'd been given by someone who'd been keeping an eye on the girl. They'd been following from a distance, but rushed over with the money when noticing the albino's interest in the plush before rushing off once more. The single-horned girl bowed politely before leaving, her shadow sticking to rooftops as they kept an eye on her.

Eri was amazed at just how _big_ the world was. Part of her knew of the enormity of the planet she lived on, but even this tiny part of it felt amazingly large. She didn't know just how many people she passed in her excited state, but she eventually came out of her stupor when she bumped into somebody and fell over.

**:TW:**

The man bent over, intent on helping the girl up. She heard a whirring noise, the sound growing louder and louder as it filled her mind, and she wasn't out on the sidewalk anymore.

Overhaul loomed over her, a medical drill in his hand as he lowered it slowly, methodically, towards her arm. Eri screamed, she wailed. Why was he doing this to her? Her cries of terror were suddenly cut off when she felt something envelop her consciousness, something comforting.

_"You're not there. You're here, in my arms. Can you hear me breathing? Breathe with me, okay, Eri-chan? Deep breaths,"_ she heard in her mind, a familiar presence doing its damndest to pull her out of her panic attack. She couldn't hear her mama breathing, but she could feel it, and she did her best to emulate her.

**:TW:**

Eri didn't know how much time had passed while she was like that, but she eventually found herself lying on a bench, with her head in her mama's lap. They were in a park, far away from whatever had been making that horrible noise. "You're safe, Eri-chan. It was just a panic attack. He's in prison, and you're here with me," Himiko said softly as she sensed the girl coming to. The white-haired girl sat up and whirled around, pulling her mama into a tiny, strong hug. Himiko smiled softly, returning the affectionate gesture. "Looks like we gotta keep you away from construction sites, _and_ Meimei's workshop. That flashback made me nauseous, too," the pro commented softly, making sure not to let the hatred she felt for her daughter's tormentor slip into her voice.

Eri simply cried for a while, her mother holding onto her softly as she let her tears run dry. It felt like hours, but Eri calmed down, feeling incredibly exhausted. Haro sat nearby in low power mode, not wanting to interrupt. Himiko smiled encouragingly as she stood up, the tiny girl cradled gently in her arms. "You wanna head home now, kiddo? You've had a pretty eventful afternoon," she said with a sad smile. Her daughter, and damn did it feel good to call her that, nodded sleepily. Picking up Haro with her aura, and floating into the sky with her daughter cradled in her arms, Himiko made her way back to U.A.'s campus at a sedate pace.

"Mama?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me a story?"

"I can do that. You wanna hear about the time your Aunt Meimei built her first reactor?"

"That sounds fun."

"Well, it all started when Aunt Meimei saw a mime…"

The story was an odd one, but they were an odd group. An odd family, actually.

That Evening, In The Common Room

Ochako stirred awake, yawning adorably, before panicking a little. "Not again!" she whined, finding herself floating around in the air, a few of her classmates chuckling at her. She found herself pulled down from near the ceiling, her boyfriend's aura reaching out and easing her to the floor as she released her quirk. "Why didn't ya wake me up, Izuku!"

Her boyfriend smiled nervously, glancing to the left. "S-sorry. You just seemed really peaceful, and you worked really hard today, so I just made sure you didn't hit anything that might wake you up," the boy admitted guiltily.

The brunette groaned in exasperation, glad she'd taken to wearing shorts under her skirt. Honestly, with her quirk, skirts were just a no-go. "Well, I did enjoy looking at you bein' all serene and whatnot when we were in the cockpit together, so I guess this is just karma," she said with a bit of a grin.

Izuku frowned for a moment, before coming to a realization. "No, we aren't quite even. I've gotta spoil you, and I think I know just how to do it," he said, suddenly giving off an incredibly determined vibe. "Come with me," he said confidently, grabbing her hand in his and leading her off, the two of them doing their best to ignore the teasing coming from their friends as they exited the dorm. It wasn't quite curfew yet, but they were cutting it close. Izuku turned around and took both her hands in his. "You wanted to be an astronaut once, right? Do you trust me?"

Ochako blinked, not sure where he was going with this. "Y-yeah. To both of those questions. I've always been fascinated by space, you know that," she said softly, her heart thudding in her chest as she gazed into Izuku's oddly determined eyes.

Glowing blue, the boy before her nodded. "Just wait a minute. Gotta get this thing moving…" he said, shutting his eyes in concentration. Not long after, Phenex was hovering over them, and the freckled teen smiled at his girlfriend. "Wanna go to space for a couple minutes?"

Ochako blinked. "You-you're serious? That's crazy! What are we waitin' for?" she exclaimed, blue aura now coming off of her as well as she leaped in the direction of Phenex's cockpit, her boyfriend not far behind her.

The interior of the cockpit lit up as it opened and the two entered. Izuku made sure his partner was fully strapped in before lying back in his seat and becoming one with the machine. "We only have enough oxygen to be up there for about half an hour, but it's not a good idea to be up there for a long time anyway, so it's probably for the better this way…" he mumbled off before his body went still, smile still on his face as he synchronized fully.

Ochako looked at the camera feed around her in amazement as she saw their blue aura surging around the machine. She offhandedly noticed the user interface indicating that aura enhanced mode had been activated as they began ascending steadily. She gazed out at the sunset, her boyfriend's hand held in hers. A tiny bit of blue aura slipped into the cockpit and closed his hand around it, the boy's smile growing wide._ "We need to start looking away from the sun. It'd be bad if we looked towards it while we're up there,"_ he said cautiously, rotating the machine so that the front of it faced the darkness of night, the cameras in the back shutting off.

**"Reaching upper atmosphere. Weapon systems shutting down in accordance with international treaty,"** the onboard AI stated, though none of them were worried. This wasn't a fight, after all.

Shortly after, the pair were hovering in low orbit, gazing out at the stars. And there were so _many._ The universe stretched endlessly before them as the two took it in, before Ochako spoke. "C-can you look down? I wanna see it. I wanna see the earth," she said softly.

_"Yeah, I kinda wanna see what it looks like from up here, too,"_ Izuku replied, gradually turning the machine and adjusting the cameras to keep the sun's light from harming them. Soon, they gazed upon their big, beautiful world, in all its glory.

A blue gem with many landmasses and swirling clouds spanned their sight as they gazed at it. "It's so pretty," Ochako said in awe.

Izuku nodded, even though the action was only made by the machine. _"It is. Hey, Ochako? Thanks. Thanks for always being there for me. You're my hero,"_ he said softly, the affection and gratitude flowing from him to her openly. The brunette blinked back tears, and found herself seeing what her boyfriend saw. Not just a planet, but all the bonds of everybody on it, crisscrossing networks of friendships and rivalries, romances and familial bonds. Their blue world was filled with blue joy.

"No, thank you."

The two of them couldn't stop grinning, even as they descended back to the campus, finding that several of their classmates were outside waiting for them. They loved their class, their family. Life is good.


	31. Chapter 31

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirty-one_

A/N: I'm really happy at the moment. I'm so close to completing a multi-chapter fic that's decently popular. Frikkin' thank you all.

"Normal speech."

**"AI/SHOOOOOOTOOOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

"Twice Prime speech. _Into Other Twice speech. __**Into Other, Other Twice speech."**_

_'Thinking speech.'_

_"Telepathic speech."_

'Sign language.'

Late At Night, In Ochako's Subconscious

The girl of infinity panicked a little, finding herself in a predicament suddenly. She would have lashed out, if not for the fact that most of her body seemed to just _not be there with her_.

A young man with long, shaggy white hair gazed at her with sympathetic eyes. "Sorry to bother you while you were sleeping. This...is not how I'd expected I'd be meeting you. My older brother's already been defeated, and most of his plots foiled," the man said with a shrug. "I'm glad One for All's in good hands, at least, Miss Ten."

Realizing one of her hands was there with her, Ochako communicated in the only way she knew she could at the moment. 'Who are you? Where am I?' she finger spelled, hoping the young man before her understood her.

To her relief, the man smiled in delight. "You know sign? Awesome, that makes this so much easier. Well, Miss Ten, I guess you could call me Mister One. I'm the original holder of your new quirk. Outside of keeping your original quirk useable, though, it seems like there's not much need for One for All anymore. Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad you won't be needing its full power. You'll be getting it regardless, but it's the principle of the matter," the man said, rambling in a manner that was eerily familiar.

Ochako blinked, and would have giggled a bit if her mouth were there with her, before she decided to ask another question. 'What do you mean by full power? Is there more to One for All than super strength?'

The young man sat down, making himself comfortable. "One for All stockpiles more than just raw strength. Mister Nine would have gotten this bit for himself, but he passed it on to help his dear friend remain a hero, so you're getting it instead. This quirk also stockpiles copies of the souls of previous users, along with their quirks. Take a look," he said, then gestured for her to look to her right.

Sure enough, in a row that she was at the end of, were all the previous holders of One for All, the copy of Izuku's soul grinning at her with delight as the copy of All Might gave her a thumbs up. The woman next to them flashed a grin and a peace sign, Ochako realizing suddenly that this was the woman whose soul was trapped in that Nomu with the others. Beyond them, the others were hazy to her sight, but one of them, number five in the line, broke through the haze and approached her.

"All right, kid. Looks like you're getting access to my quirk first. My name is Daigoro Banjo, but you can call me Lariat, and my quirk is called Blackwhip. It responds to the desires of the heart, so be careful with it. Damn thing has a mind of its own sometimes. It'll take some time to get used to, but if you learn to accept your heart's desires, you'll be able to control Blackwhip like a pro, capiche?" the intense man explained, lowering himself to be eye level with her. Ochako simply nodded, a determined look in her eyes. "Good. Now scram, you little punk. Go live life or whatever. You're already doing us all proud, so just keep doing like you are now."

With a flick to her forehead, Ochako was in her room, which now...had a hole in the wall, through which Blackwhip had extended.

_"Ochako?"_

_"Y-yeah, Izuku?"_

_"I don't know what this thing is, but could you let go? It's freaking Kaminari-kun out, and I can't get up and properly calm him down if this thing is holding onto me."_

The brunette blushed up a storm, realizing she'd woken up Izuku and freaked out one of the class's insomniacs. _"S-sorry! I'll try to get it under control!"_ she exclaimed as she started concentrating, focusing on the desire to _not frighten her friends, damnit!_

Thankfully, this seemed to work, and Blackwhip retracted, thankfully not bringing her boyfriend with it. With a sigh, Ochako got up and looked apologetically through the series of holes that led to where Izuku had been sleeping, finding Izuku looking right back at her, a less freaked out Denki standing next to him and waving awkwardly. The brunette put her hand to her face in shame even as she waved back, then turned to consider whether she'd be able to handle the evening chill that was now filtering into her dorm room with her blanket.

Her, admittedly, thin blanket.

The teen glared at her hand. "You'd better not be laughing in there, Lariat. You _knew_ this would happen, I just know it!" she growled quietly, before reaching out mentally. _"Izuku, um, sorry about this, but I don't think my blanket's good enough to keep me warm tonight, what with the...redecorating...D-do you mind if I stay with you tonight? We can, um, keep each other warm, maybe?"_

She could feel his embarrassment through the Bond, but there was something else as well that she hadn't been expecting; nervous excitement. _"Um, y-yeah. We can try that. It's getting a bit chilly in here as well, but it's better than going it alone. I-I'll unlock the balcony door. See you in a few, I guess?"_ the nervous boy responded, and the heroine of the great beyond smiled a little at the knowledge that he was probably blushing even more than she was.

Within minutes, the two were settled in Izuku's bed, just staring nervously at one another for the moment, hands intertwined. _"How did you know that was me and not a villain attack, Izuku?"_ the brunette asked, curious.

The boy smiled bashfully at her. _"I felt your heart in it. Your desire to reach out to me. I'm not sure what that was, but it came from you, and I trust you. I'm...flattered that you had some sort of freak accident that involved your desire to be closer to me, even if it resulted in a few holes in the dorm,"_ the greying verdette explained, leaning slowly towards his girlfriend's cheek and planting a quick kiss.

Ochako giggled at the action and laid a quick peck to her boyfriend's nose. _"Goodnight, Izuku,"_ she said with incredible fondness.

_"Goodnight, Ochako."_

The two teens slept well.

The Next Morning, The Day Of The Culture Festival

Izuku smiled as he gladly aided the parents of several of his classmates in getting to the school grounds. He had to warp them to the gate, for security reasons, but it was nice meeting them. Finally, he came out of the hyperlane with Eijirou's moms, the manly teen's ma wearing an impressive cosplay of her son. "Thanks for the lift, squirt. Sorry that the cosplay took so long to put together! We should be fine to go home ourselves, though," Kagura exclaimed with an apologetic look. In her defense, the cosplay was nearly spot-on, the only real difference between the woman and her son being the chest wrapping and the normal teeth.

Rinko smiled at her wife as she gestured for the woman to get out of Izuku's hair. "Come on, now. We've gotta go show Ei-chan your cosplay and enjoy ourselves today. Now, Izuku-chan, feel free to call me up if you need to ask anymore questions concerning our previous discussion," the dark-haired, shark-toothed woman said kindly as she took her wife's hand in hers as the two entered the school grounds.

Izuku rolled his eyes at the two good-naturedly, then had to stop himself from jumping in surprise when a tiny hand grasped his, the boy turning to beam at his niece. "What's up, Eri-chan?" he asked kindly as he came down to her level.

"Mama and Papa are working security for a bit. They want me to hang out with you for now," the tiny tot explained shyly as her uncle did his best not to make an ugly face at the cuteness radiating from the child.

Izuku rubbed the girl's head and nodded. "Okay then. Let's go check out some of the stalls, okay? Maybe we can find something tasty to enjoy!" the freckled teen suggested as he rose, already using his power to check if any place was selling anything apple-related. To his dismay, there weren't any, but he figured she'd enjoy trying some other tasty treats for now.

"IZUKUUUUU! WAIT A MOMENT!" a happy voice called out from down the sidewalk, and the verdette grinned as his mother finished jogging to reach them, catching her breath as the boy took her purse. Out of breath as she was, the woman signed, 'Room for one more?'

Izuku nodded with a smile, then turned to his niece. "Eri-chan, this is my mom. Do you wanna say hi?" he asked softly.

The girl shyly hid behind his legs, but poked a bit of her head out to look at the woman. "H-hello. It's nice to meet you, Inko-obaasan," Eri greeted softly, bowing her head slightly.

Having finally caught her breath, Inko beamed at the child. "Please, Inko-baba is fine. You are just too polite for your own good, just like your uncle here! Speaking of which, are you sleeping okay, Izuku? Your grey looks like it's spread out more since our last video call. Please remember you can ask your teachers and classmates for help if you're stressed out, or even call me!" the woman fretted, running her fingers through the teen's hair as she made noises of concern.

Izuku frowned slightly, gently removing his mother's fingers from his head. "Mooom. Not where everyone can see. Besides, I told you, it's _all_ grey at the roots now. I'm going to need to get dye if I want to turn my hair back," the teen lamented, knowing that after a haircut or two it'd be entirely grey.

The woman sighed. "At least it was for a good cause. Saving Eri-chan was definitely worth it. I'm just glad you only had a few bumps and bruises afterwards. So, what are you feeling like, Eri-chan?" Inko asked with a sweet smile.

The nine-year old pondered for a moment, before realizing she didn't really know _what_ she wanted to do. "M-maybe we can walk for a little bit?" the girl suggested softly.

The two Midoriyas nodded, then Izuku got an idea. He kneeled, his back to Eri. "You wanna ride on your uncle's back, Eri-chan?" he asked encouragingly. He didn't get a verbal reply, but he felt her latch on, and after using a bit of green aura to reinforce his hold on her, Izuku, Inko, and Eri made their way to the festival.

With Ochako And Her Parents

Ochako blushed in embarrassment as her parents teased her about the events of last night. "Well, at least he was a gentleman to you. Oh, ya must've looked so cute, cuddled up the way you were!" Mizuki exclaimed with a grin.

Naoto frowned menacingly. "I need ta have a talk with that boy," he said sternly, before Ochako rolled her eyes at him.

"Papa, you and I _both_ know yer just fakin' being mad. Don't evn' need ta use Izuku's power ta figure that out."

"Yeah, yer right, Ochako. He's just too adorable ta be mad at, and he only did it because of the holes in the walls. God, my grandbabies are gonna be adorable," the quirkless blond teased with a wink.

"Oh, I can just imagine it now, Naoto! Curly brown hair, green eyes, and those lil' blush marks! Oh, we are so blessed that Ochako found such a sweet partner! Why aren't we hangin' out with him 'n Inko right now, Ochako?" Mizuki asked with a slight frown.

Ochako smiled fondly at her parents. "He wanted some time with his mom, _without_ the teasin'. Honestly, though, _I'm_ still hangin' out with him, at least," she explained, then softly commented, "He 'n I are never truly apart. The Bond that connects us is real strong."

Mizuki cooed sweetly at her daughter's obvious adoration for her partner, while Naoto chuckled. "Well, tell 'im we're glad he's such a good friend ta ya," he said with a grin.

With a giggle, Ochako replied, "He says thanks fer raisin' me to be such a kind-hearted badass!" The younger brunette then laughed uproariously as her parents sputtered a bit, not expecting a response.

Shortly After 1-A's Concert

Himiko smirked at the pair of mad engineers before her, having hotfooted it to their work area shortly after enjoying the show her classmates had put on. Eri had actually laughed a few times throughout the song, she'd been enjoying herself so much. "So, what do you two need me for?" the shorter blond asked, confident despite the nervousness she sensed from her friend.

Mei couldn't really seem to hold eye contact with her for some reason, and Himiko was half tempted to poke through her head to figure out what was up, but she'd learned a while ago that doing that was bad manners. Besides, it looked like her American friend would be spilling the beans any second. "Well, Shuuzenji-san, we've hit a bit of a snag in the prosthetic body project, and feel free to turn us down, since we'll definitely find another way eventually, but…" Melissa explained, before becoming nervous herself.

Mei sighed, and spoke up. "There is no way to test the ability of the project to feel, smell, or taste things accurately without putting someone's consciousness in it. You and Midoriya-chan are the safest ones to test that on, since we can use a wired connection, and thus can abort the tests far more reliably if something goes wrong. We _would_ have asked Midoriya-chan, since he doesn't have Ao-chan's memories of torment via experimentation, but…"

Himiko rolled her eyes. "But he's a minor, and you weren't about to rile up Mama Inko by asking for her consent as well. I don't understand why you're so nervous to ask me about it, though. I helped just fine with testing for synchronizing with Unit 0, after all, so what gives?" the shapeshifter asked curiously.

At this, Mei nearly exploded. "What gives is that if we calibrated this thing wrong, you could be in complete agony while we fix it! Hell, I'm starting to think we should just scrap the ability to simulate a sense of touch altogether, since I don't want to risk hurting _either_ of you, not to mention your bonded partners! We can pull you back into your original bodies easily, yes, but the seconds it would take to do so would be absolute torture for you! I'm not about to just-" her ranting was interrupted when Himiko put a firm hand on her shoulder, looking into her eyes.

"I can do it."

"But-"

Himiko smirked at her first friend. "Meimei, I've _been_ in absolute agony before, for hours at a time. My sperm donor was definitely _not_ above using torture to punish his kids, you know that. I'll be fine with just a few seconds. It definitely helps that, if something _does_ go wrong, my incredibly talented, trustworthy best friend will be the one responsible for pulling me out of it. Now let me just let my darling husband know to expect some turbulence, and we can get this over with," the pro stated as she did as she said.

Mei sniffled a bit as her friend communicated with her partner. "Ko-chan…" she mumbled tearily as Melissa contemplated whether she should try to comfort her new friend, before deciding to just do it by ear, commanding a nearby drone to refill the rosette's coffee and pulling the reticule-eyed girl into a hug.

It did not take long to set things up. They had to wait a bit for Mei to calm down, then a bit longer for Melissa to do the same after she suddenly got a bit upset as well, but now they had Himiko resting atop a bed designed for this sort of thing. With a clunk, a cable was inserted into her port. She grinned at her friend and gave her a thumbs up, which was reciprocated, then felt her consciousness get moved from her body.

Upon opening her eyes, or at this time, photoreceptors, Himiko's first impression was that her friend had been worried for nothing. "You moron," she said in a voice that sounded remarkably like her own. "You were worried for nothing. If anything, you need to turn up the sensitivity a couple clicks. I feel the seat beneath my shiny metal ass, but I don't feel it as much as I would in my real body. Now _please_ tell me you've got some good food for the taste tests! This body doesn't feel hungry, but I could go all terminator on some ice cream right about now!"

The two engineers in charge of building the now mostly successful prototype rushed over to their creation, intent on giving the soul within a hug filled with joy.

Meanwhile, With Izuku, Ochako, And Eri

Team G-Force smiled happily as they walked on either side of their current charge, hot taiyaki in each of their hands. They had to remind Eri to let it cool down once or twice, but now they were chowing down as they made their way over to the beauty pageant. Naoto, Mizuki, and Inko watched from a distance, enjoying the glimpse into their kids' future.

The single-horned child looked up at Izuku curiously. "Unca Zuku? Why is Unca Kacchan in the beauty pageant?" Eri asked.

Izuku grinned at his niece. "His mom, my Auntie Mitsuki, is a model, so he figured he'd have a go at it since they look so similar. He'll probably do well if he figures out a decent theme to go with," he explained as he wiped a bit of taiyaki off of her face.

Ochako giggled a bit at the thought. "I just imagined Bakugou-kun in a dress, looking very grumpy!" she said with a grin.

Putting his hand to his chin, Izuku remembered something. "Oh, Hagakure-chan's entering as well! I forgot all about that!" he admitted with a chuckle.

The brunette beside him groaned loudly. "Don't remind me. She wanted to have you and me join as well! Don't get me wrong, I'd probably look nice in a dress, but I've had too many incidents with skirts to be able to wear one without shorts in front of a crowd like this," she explained, causing Izuku to blush from secondhand embarrassment as he recalled some of said incidents. Shared memories were weird sometimes.

Ochako noticed the boy's blush, and decided to tease him a little. "You'd probably look cute in a dress, though. Honestly, if you were a girl, I'd probably be in lesbians with you," she teased, poking her boyfriend's ever-reddening cheek with a smug grin adorning her face. With less of a teasing edge, she added, "Seriously, though, you're really cute, Izuku. Isn't he cute, Eri-chan?"

The albino nine year old nodded. "Unca Zuku's like a puppy with freckles. Very cute," she said, oddly serious about her statement.

The breaker of the laws of physics nodded enthusiastically at her charge before turning to her boyfriend. "So, two pretty girls just called you cute, Izuku. Whatcha gotta say to that?" she teased.

"First, I say thanks for the boost to my self esteem. I don't really see myself as being that attractive, so you've made me feel pretty good about my appearance. Second, I say that this. Means. War," he responded, an ominous grin appearing on his face with the second half of his reply.

With this warning, the group made their way to the pageant.

That Evening, In Katsuki's Room

Katsuki stared at his best friend blankly. "Seriously? You sure you want me to do this? It'll take at least an hour," he warned.

Izuku nodded firmly. "Yeah. I want her speechless, and I know you can do it," the verdette responded.

The blast hero grinned menacingly. "I'm gonna need President Skroob, Jackie Chan, and Jammingwhey in here in five minutes if I'm gonna pull this off," he commanded.

_"Let me get in on this, too. I know a technique that'll help,"_ Himiko said, the two boys sensing a grin in her statement.

_"How the fuck did you know what we were doing, Neechan?"_ Katsuki growled, not liking the privacy of his room being violated.

_"I just keep an ear out for thoughts of mischief-making and the like. I'm not constantly listening in on our class. It's kinda like hearing your name said when you're not really listening to someone nearby,"_ the elder empath explained.

The human hand grenade rolled his eyes. _"Fine, you're in, now get the fuck over here! You're gonna see some fuckin' magic!"_ he replied, cracking his knuckles as he prepared to get to work.

An Hour And A Half Later, In Ochako's Room

Ochako audibly groaned as she read her novel. "Stop dancing around each other already! Now I know how Bakugou-kun felt around me and Izuku!" she whined, as the characters in her book, who'd been pining for one another for three volumes now, once again refrained from expressing their feelings to one another.

A knock on her door had her yelping as she dropped her book, which never touched the ground for obvious reasons. "Yeah? What do you need?" she called as she got up and opened the door to see Kyoka standing there with a smug grin.

"Head down to the common room. Your boyfriend's got a silly treat for you," the punk girl said before turning around and heading back the way she came. With a confused grin, Ochako followed, setting her book down and returning its gravity.

It didn't take her long to make her way to the common room, where several of her students were gawking at something on the couch. Upon noticing her, a couple of them moved to let her see, and Ochako's jaw dropped.

"Midoriya Izuku, what have you done? I'm in lesbians with you now," the brunette said as she openly stared at her boyfriend, who somehow had been turned into her _girlfriend._ Her girlfriend in a very cute dress, with a light coating of makeup that brought out her freckles and blush and-

"How did you get breasts, though?" Ochako asked bluntly.

Izuku blushed even more, a bit self conscious despite this being his idea. "Himiko-neechan can alter peoples' perception of herself, and apparently others as well. I don't actually look like I have...breasts... but you see me with them because she's actively making my body shape appear feminine," the temporarily effeminate boy explained, before getting up and looking her in the eyes. "D-do I r-rock this dress o-or what?" he stammered, and Ochako found herself instinctively taking a picture with her phone as she gave her temporary girlfriend a thumbs-up.

With a bark of laughter, Katsuki held out a fist to his masterpiece, receiving a fist bump from the partial verdette. "You're fucking beautiful, Izuku. That was a _lot_ more fun than it had any right to be. Now back to my room, cuz' I've gotta remove the makeup before you go to bed, or it'll do some nasty shit. Now scram, you mooks! Show's over!" he shouted.

As Ochako headed back to her room, she took a look at the picture on her phone. While the perception of Izuku as an actual girl didn't translate to the photo, she noted that he was, in fact, still adorably cute. A notification sound indicated an email sent to her, and she noticed it was from the Wild, Wild Pussycats' Agency, and apparently sent to both her and Izuku. Giving it a quick lookover, she grinned with delight.

_"Izuku! We have an internship offer from the Wild, Wild Pussycats!"_


	32. Chapter 32

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirty-two_

"Normal speech."

**"AI/SHOOOOOOTOOOOO/Kacchanese speech."**

"Twice Prime speech. _Into Other Twice speech. __**Into Other, Other Twice speech."**_

_"Telepathic speech."_

_'Thinking speech.'_

'Sign language.'

The Day After The End Of Last Chapter

Izuku couldn't stop grinning as he thought of all the awesome stuff he and Ochako could learn from the Wild, Wild Pussycats. Once or twice, he accidentally fed himself forkfuls of nothingness, so lost in thought that he occasionally missed stabbing his lunch with the utensil.

Across the table, Todoroki stared at his friend in mild confusion. Eventually, he noticed something, and waved outside of the greying teen's line of sight to get Ochako's attention. 'He's got some food on his face. I saw on television that couples clean each others' faces off sometimes. Do you want to try that, or should I just tell him?' the half-and-half teen finger spelled, his face completely straight, though Ochako could sense a hint of amusement in him at the idea.

With a sigh, Ochako went to help her friend, but was interrupted when Tenya spoke. "Oh, Midoriya-kun! You have some rice on your...Uraraka-kun? Todoroki-kun? Why are you looking at me like...Oh…" the speedster spoke, abruptly realizing what his brunette friend was about to attempt. With a grimace, he bowed slightly, barely missing his own food. "My apologies, Uraraka-kun!"

Izuku chuckled as he removed the rice from his face, quickly placing it amongst its brethren on his fork before sending them to a dark, acid-filled grave. "We'll get more chances to do things like that, Ochako. I don't exactly see us breaking up," he said with a wink, causing the brunette to laugh a little at how cheesy it looked.

A bit further down the table, Himiko laughed. "You two are gonna give me cavities at this rate!" she teased, pointing at them with a grin.

Ochako narrowed her eyes at the woman mischievously. "You're one to talk. You're Synchronized with Jin-san right this second, you deviants! And right in front of little Eri-chan!" the brunette retorted with a smirk.

"LIES AND SLANDER!" Himiko's voice retorted with her husband's soul behind it, before the girl abruptly covered her mouth with a blush.

Eri looked between her two parents in confusion for a moment, wondering if they were using some combination of their quirks to swap places. Noticing her confusion, Himiko explained what was going on. "Your Uncle Izuku and I can synchronize with our partners temporarily, sharing every sensation, thought, and feeling, along with our bodies. It's pretty neat," she explained from her body, before grinning at her with her husband's mouth from across the table.

Looking like he just solved world hunger, Jin called out to his in-laws. "Oh! Green Tea! You should try this too! Doing it in a relaxed setting is really nice! _Oh yeah! It's really good for your self esteem, guys! You start realizing all the things the other person loves about you in a _really_ powerful way!"_ Twice and one of his Others suggested.

Blinking awkwardly at the pair, Izuku turned to his girlfriend, about to ask if she wanted to try it, when he was interrupted by her placing a kiss on his cheek, and initiating the sync herself. The two gazed at each other's faces, as if seeing them for the first time.

A couple tables away, Mina's horns twitched, and the teen gasped. "I sensed a great disturbance in the Force, as if one of my ships just experienced something incredible that I can't even properly comprehend…" the pinkette said ominously.

With a smirk, Eijirou poked his girlfriend's cheek. "I sensed it as well. Pretty sure it's Green Tea doing some mental link shenanigans, all things considered," he responded with a chuckle.

Back with the couple in question, the two of them were honestly in awe with the sensation of just _understanding_ what the other saw in them to such a degree. Izuku found himself crying a little. "I never really knew my cheeks were so cute. I've actually been a little self-conscious of my freckles, honestly," he said quietly.

"Look who's talkin'. You think my blush marks are the second cutest thing about me. Oh, oh wow. You really like my fingerpads that much when we're holding hands? You're such a dork and I love it!" the brunette replied with a happy laugh.

With a mighty roar, Bakugou rose to his feet. **"In this fucking house, we love and respect positive relationships! ANY WHO DISAGREE CAN SCHEDULE A GODDAMN ASS-BEATING FROM YOURS TRULY! RAAAAAAAAA!"**

"FRIENDSHIP IS INEVITABLE!" several of their classmates chanted.

**"RESISTANCE IS IMPOLITE!"**

As one, class 1-A released a roar of approval, joined by Jin and Eri, who might as well have been part of the class anyway.

A Few Days Later

As it turned out, a few of them aside from Team G-Force had been offered internships with the Wild, Wild Pussycats as well. Not all of them had opted to accept, but joining them would be Froppy, Anima, Tsukuyomi, and The Raven. However, they had one other along for the ride.

"Remember that you can ask me anytime you need help with her, okay? And remind her that she shouldn't feel bad about waking you up if she has a nightmare. Oh, fuck, I knew this was gonna be hard, but I underestimated just _how fucking hard this is!"_ Himiko lamented as she went over various things her brother would need to know and do for Eri while he was taking care of her.

Izuku smiled and pulled his sister into a hug. "We'll be fine, Neechan. Eri-chan is very well-behaved, and everybody else will be there in case something is preventing me from taking care of her. Besides, hanging out with Kouta-kun will be good practice for when she starts school next year," the freckled teen assured Himiko, then stepped back to allow the young mother and father to dote over their daughter a little more before she left for a trip. "So, everybody has their things?"

Each of his friends nodded. Koji turned to look up at their decided method of travel. "I've kinda been wondering what it looks like inside that thing for a while now," he commented quietly.

"It's actually pretty roomy, even with the extra seats Hatsume-san added. I think she did that so that more civilians could fit if it needed to be used to get people away from somewhere in a hurry," Ochako replied with a grin. "You're in for a real treat. Flying with him is a crazy rush."

"All right, family huuug!" Jin shouted a little too loudly, as Himiko and Eri joined him in his embrace. The duplicating dad blinked and glared half-heartedly at Izuku and Ochako. "Did I stutter? Family hug! Get over here, Green Tea! _Do it! Do it or we'll eat all your snacks while you're gone! __**Your cookies are forfeit!"**_

Izuku and Ochako laughed at the man's antics as they joined the trio in their hug. The two couples smiled warmly as Eri let out tiny thank yous as she cried happy tears, a blaze of blue aura enveloping the group of five for a moment before they separated.

It didn't take long for everybody to load up into the gundam (who are they kidding? For all intents and purposes, it's a freaking gundam.), their bags secured behind their seats and each of them strapped in. Izuku leaned back and made sure he was comfortable, then let his consciousness leak into the machine. The cameras came online, and there were a few oohs and aahs as the outside became visible as if they weren't inside of a multi-story robot.

Putting a finger to her chin, Tsuyu asked a question that was on her mind. "Are we gonna be going through one of those hyperlane jumps, kero?"

_"No, I'm still getting used to moving this body, so we're taking the scenic route,"_ Izuku's voice answered in their heads as Phenex stood at its full height and began jogging away from Heights Alliance before breaking into a run, soon lifting off of the ground entirely as they flew off to Kashyyyk Village, where the Pussycats' agency was located.

Emerging from his brother's chest, Dark Shadow had an epiphany. "So _that's_ what you were doing when we were prepping for the culture festival! I thought it was weird that you were helping with moving stuff so much, but now it all makes sense!" the bird-shaped quirk quipped before sliding back to whence he came.

Fumikage grinned. "You are more machine than man now it seems, Master. I'm glad we don't have to worry about you becoming twisted and evil, though," he joked.

Froppy turned to look at Uravity, a silly thought in her head. "So, Ochako-chan, how does it feel to be inside your boyfriend?" the dark-haired girl teased.

With an unamused look, Ochako turned to her friend. "Et tu, Froppy?"

"Kero kero kero!" the rainy season hero laughed.

"Inappropriate for Eri-chan! Haro! Cover your ears! Haro!" the orb-shaped AI spoke from where they were strapped in at Eri's feet. This got everyone laughing as Eri did her best to calm her mechanical companion down.

A Little Over An Hour Later

Eri's eyes widened as she noticed something in the distance ahead of them. "Um, why's that tree so big?" she asked curiously, noticing a tree of unusual size. Half the size of the mountains it stood next to, specifically.

"I know, it's crazy, isn't it? I was pretty amazed by it when I saw it on the bullet train on the way to Mustafar Province, but that's actually Kashyyyk Village," Ochako explained with a grin.

Not missing a beat, Izuku added to the conversation. _"It's also the site of the final fight against one of Japan's first supervillains, a fire quirk user called Tessen, from fifty years ago. The tree itself is resistant to quirk-based attacks. Apparently, the hero that made it, Konohamaru, entombed himself and Tessen within after Tessen burned down the facility that originally stood there. People eventually carved an entire village into the base of the tree that ended up being called Kashyyyk Village. Fitting, since it's essentially a wroshyr tree from the planet the town's named after. Around twenty years ago, an expedition actually found the resting place of Konohamaru and Tessen at the very core of the tree, and it was turned into a museum to honor fallen heroes,"_ the teen explained, a smile appearing on his unconscious body's lips as he accelerated to reach their destination more quickly. _"I'm gonna speed up a bit now. I _really_ want to see this place up close!"_

The group of friends heard a loud boom as Phenex accelerated, each of them feeling Izuku's desire to reach their destination as his blue aura became more prominent, permeating their bodies and hearts with joy. Soon, they were at the base of the tree, and Izuku let everybody out, though Ochako stayed in the cockpit with him as he flew Phenex up to perch in one of the higher branches.

Shutting the machine down and returning to his real body, Izuku smiled appreciatively at his girlfriend. "Thanks for coming up with me. Descending is gonna be a lot safer with your quirk, since I don't have feeling in some parts of my body yet," the green-eyed hero in training thanked his partner as he shook his limbs, hoping to return feeling to them.

Uravity rolled her eyes with a grin as she helped her boyfriend up. "Not a problem, Mister Roboto," she joked as she helped Izuku out of the cockpit. Taking his hand in hers, and removing her partner's gravity, she grinned at him. "Shall we?"

After about five minutes, the pair had successfully descended to the base of Kashyyyk Village, where their classmates and the Pussycats were laughing at Eri and Haro chasing each other in circles, the albino having apparently upset the small construct slightly with some teasing. It was then that Izuku noticed something he hadn't noticed prior about the ball-shaped robot. "Um, Haro-chan, did you...did you know you have a soul?" Cobalt asked with a bit of surprise.

The droid stopped for a moment to look at Izuku. "Hatsume-kaachan has many babies. Haro is first real baby, though," the automaton commented with pride.

Eri stopped to pout at her uncle for a moment. "You thought Haru-chan was just a robot, Uncle Izuku?! That's really inco...incon…" she accused, unable to properly say the final word despite, for once, refraining from calling her uncle 'Unca Zuku.'

The ashamed uncle finished for the albino tyke. "Inconsiderate, and yes, it was. Sorry, Haro-chan. I should have picked up on that sooner," the teen said with a low bow.

Haro laughed. "No problem! No problem! Number Five is aliiiive! Haro!" the orb joked happily.

All of Class 1-A felt a powerful feeling of...something...washing over them. It seemed some people had been waiting for them to all be there.

"Lock on with these sparkling gazes!"

"We've come to lend a paw and help!"

**"Coming out of nowhere…"**

"Stingingly cute and catlike!"

"Wild, Wild...Pussycats!"

Despite the fact that he'd already seen it once before, Izuku's inner fanboy was still screaming with joy, tears and blue aura erupting from the boy as he took out his notebook for a signature completely on instinct, putting it away upon remembering he already had their signatures (along with their pawprints).

As 1-A was distracted by trying to calm their class mascot down, Eri and Haro bowed to the quartet. "Thanks for hosting us, nice kitties!" the albino said politely.

"No, thank you, Eri-chan, Haro-chan. Kota-kun hasn't really had a proper playdate before, all things considered. He's a bit of a punk at school, so we were hoping you'd be able to help deal with him," Mandalay replied as she bowed to the kids before her. "Please be merciful to my nephew."

With a laugh, Tora lifted everybody's bags. "I'll get these for you kitties. I could feel your desire to check out the museum from here, Midoriya-kun, so why don't you and your pals go poke your noses into that real quick and we can talk business in half an hour!" the absolute beast of a hero offered, his teammates rolling their eyes as they followed him.

"Just follow the signs, kittens! Have fun!" Ragdoll exclaimed gleefully, activating her quirk on the group in case they somehow got lost.

The students laughed softly at the quartet's antics, even as Eri grabbed Izuku's and Ochako's hands, dragging them off to check out the museum.

With a happy grin the pair thought to themselves, 'I hope this internship isn't too eventful.'

They would soon end up cursing Murphy, because his law was a bitch.


	33. Chapter 33

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

Chapter Thirty-three

A/N: This is it. The final chapter where the main plot is concerned. After this, you can consider the fic finished, but I will be posting various character interactions from throughout the fic's timeline, and some afterwards. Thanks for sticking with this for so long. (Bows) I'm grateful to all of you.

"Normal speech."

"AI/Kacchanese speech."

"Telepathic speech."

'Thinking speech.'

"Twice Prime speech. Into Other Twice speech. Into Other, Other Twice speech."

'Sign language.'

That Evening, In Izuku's Bunk

Izuku awoke with a start, then took inventory of his surroundings. 'That empathic quirk was nuts! I hope that kid gets it under control someday,' he thought to himself. Spotting Koji with a toothbrush hanging from his mouth, he asked, "How long was I out?"

The rocky-looking teen took a bit longer to respond than normal, having to finger spell due to one of his hands being occupied. 'It's still the same day as when you passed out, if that's what you're wondering. You missed dinner, but it's not like we ate your portion or anything. Go get some food in you, and check in with Eri-chan. She was worried about you,' he signed before going back to the sink to finish brushing.

Izuku nodded, and stretched out with his senses, finding out something that had him concerned for a moment. "Himiko-neechan, Is Ao-niisan okay? I have control of Unit 0 again for some reason," he asked hesitantly, receiving a feeling of amused exasperation his way.

"Ao-kun is fine. He apparently exhausted himself mentally and lost consciousness while you were out of it. Some police spotted him lying in a field, and they couldn't justify letting him go, since he was right there and unresponsive. We've transferred him to one of the prosthetic bodies, so Unit 0 is all yours again. The judge presiding over his case has decided that all he's gotta do to earn his freedom is help with transferring Shimura-san and Shirakumo-san into their new bodies, so he should be home with your mom soon. She's already at the station where he's recovering. So quit with that worrying. We're fine, baby bro. Enjoy your evening," the blond said, Izuku getting feelings of reassurance and happiness from her end.

Izuku simply nodded, knowing his sister got the message even if she couldn't see it, and he hopped out of his bunk, in search of his niece. It didn't take long for him to find her with Kouta and Haro, the three of them watching some video, from the looks of it, Ochako and Tsuyu in the corner watching the three of them with smiles and the occasional giggle. Izuku smiled at how carefree his niece was, before his musing was interrupted by Haro's excited chirping. "Izuku-san is here! Izuku-san is here!" they called out, the video suddenly interrupted, having been coming from the droid in question.

Eri got up and spun around, tackling her uncle in a hug. "Are you feeling better now, Uncle Izuku?" she asked quietly. Patting the albino's back with one hand and rubbing her head with the other, Izuku nodded, a happy sigh emerging from his mouth. Excitedly, Eri turned to her new friend. "Uncle Izuku, this is Kouta-kun! He's my new friend!" she exclaimed with glee.

With a nervous chuckle, Izuku waved. "Yes, we've met," he joked.

Kouta smirked at the teen. "Yeah, my fist met his nuts. Sorry about that. Kacchan helped me work all that out, though. Just had to vent properly, and screaming angrily at the sky has been really good for that," the nutcracker replied with a bark of laughter as Izuku instinctively covered himself when he approached.

"Izuku-chan has learned to fear the Nutcracker, it seems, kero!" Tsuyu commented with a froppy laugh.

With a slightly dark look, Eri turned to her new friend. "You hurt Uncle Izuku?" she asked ominously, approaching the concerned Kouta. Before anybody could properly realize her intent, Eri kicked her new friend in his own forbidden zone, leaving him sprawled out on the floor. "My baby cousins are gonna come from there, you asshole!" she shouted. Izuku quickly pulled Eri away from the boy while Ochako and Tsuyu did their best to help Kouta recover, even as they did their best to hold in laughter.

Setting Eri down, Izuku glared at her. "You don't hit people like that, Eri-chan! He did that months ago, and I forgave him not even seconds after it happened! Also, who taught you that language, and how do you already know where babies come from?!" the freckled empath scolded, his voice going from angry to concerned near the end.

Eri frowned slightly. "...I learned it...at my last home...Nobody really watched their language around me, and I picked up a few things about biology from Chisaki's rants...Are you mad?" she asked nervously.

Pinching his nose, Izuku shook his head. "Not about that, no. I'm upset that you hit Kouta-kun, but those other things aren't your fault, and honestly, knowing about sex education may help you someday. I'll have your mother fill in any blanks for you some other time, but for now, could you apologize to Kouta-kun for me? He really didn't deserve that," the greying teen said, gesturing behind her, where Kouta had recovered somewhat.

With a slight pout, Eri turned around to talk to the dark haired boy. "I'm sorry I kicked you, Kouta-kun. Can we still be friends?" she asked nervously.

The son of Water Hose nodded. "Yeah, it's fine. You were just angry that I hurt your uncle. If somebody hurt my aunt, I'd wanna get back at them, too. That was a really strong kick, though! Are you planning on being a hero when you grow up, or maybe a martial artist?" he asked, getting stars in his eyes.

With a shy smile, Eri nodded. "I wanna be a hero like Mama, Papa, and all my aunties and uncles. Oh, but Uncle Ao isn't a pro hero. He's a...what kind of hero did you say he was, Uncle Izuku?" the albino said, turning to her uncle with her question.

"A hero of circumstance. He doesn't like fighting, he was only doing it because he felt that he had to to protect his family. He's actually done with that now, as of a few hours ago," Izuku explained with a slight chuckle.

"That's a really weird way of saying vigilante, kero," Froppy said with a slight frown. "He's a good guy, from what little I know of him, but don't romanticize what he was doing in front of kids. You don't want them turning vigilante, after all."

With a sigh, Izuku nodded, agreeing with the rainy season hero. Ochako smacked Izuku in the shoulder, a grin on her face. "Don't worry. I'm sure Ao-kun will be fine! Now go eat your dinner. Ragdoll said she wants you for night patrol! I'll keep Eri-chan tonight, so don't worry about that!" the brunette exclaimed.

The bright hero nodded with a smile. He was looking forward to this internship.

After Sundown, With Izuku

Izuku grinned, clad in his mother's hero outfit, with Units 0 and 2 hovering high in the air above him in case extra muscle was needed. "So, Tsukuyomi is just relaxing in there while you do the heavy lifting right now?" he asked of the larger of his three companions, Ragdoll heading their patrol as he and The Raven followed. Currently, The Raven was about a third the size of Phenex, apparently with his partner tucked inside.

"Yup. You gave us a real nice idea, Master. During the day, my bro is in charge, and I do his bidding. At night, I get my turn, and he's just in charge of giving me advice. Since we're just looking around and probably not gonna be getting in any big fights, he's taking it easy right now. Honestly, if we're going by grades, he could just fall asleep, and I'd take combat advice from you!" the mass of shadowy quirk joked with a smirk.

"Do not speak as if I am not here, lest you incur my wrath," Fumikage's voice spoke from within the aforementioned shadowy mass.

The sentient quirk face-palmed. "Cool it, Fumi. Saying you're not as smart as Izuku is like saying you're not as smart as President Skroob or Eyebags Junior. You're sixth out of twenty academically in the top class of one of the most prestigious schools in the country. That's something to be proud of!" Dark Shadow chided, pushing a finger into his chest and presumably poking his brother.

Cobalt laughed softly at the duo as he turned to Ragdoll, who was heading back to them. "Well, we've checked in with all the campers who've registered with us, and everybody's accounted for and safe. We've just gotta go around quietly for a few hours and check on their status like sneaky ninja kitties to make sure they stay safe. No need to go into the campsites or anything intrusive like that. Cobalt, you still aren't sensing anybody needing help around here?" the cat-themed rescue hero asked, dimming the lights coming from the 'ears' of her costume.

Concentrating, Izuku sensed for distressed thoughts and feelings in the area. In seconds, he shook his head. "Nope, other than some prey animals being nabbed up by predators, I'm not getting anything. You want me to keep checking every few minutes?" the freckled teen asked.

Ragdoll nodded, grin never leaving her face. "Yup, please and thank you, Cobalt! Tall, dark and menacing, Little Green, WITH ME!" she exclaimed, as happy at night as she was during the day.

The trio continued on in comfortable silence for the most part, taking advantage of Izuku's telepathic abilities to make less noise after he suggested it. An hour or so in, Ragdoll made an odd request. "Cobalt, are you able to turn this chat from three way to two way real quick? It's nothing bad, I promise!" his fellow verdette asked.

"For your information, it's been a four way chat this whole time. I've just kept to myself," Tsukuyomi intoned, sending a sensation of smugness.

"Revelry in the dark, my apprentice," Cobalt responded with a grin, then turned to face the back of Ragdoll's head. "It's based on intent. If you don't want people to hear you in the 'chat,' they won't. What do you need?"

Ragdoll audibly sighed. "I learned a while ago the amount of danger we were in when Uravity and I were taken by that villain. The fact that he was going to take our quirks...Considering how close that was to happening...When I figured that out, I was spooked for a bit. You risked a lot to save the two of us. I get that you were more focused on saving Uravity, obviously, but I saw footage of the battle, and I know what Chibaku Tensei is. You saved so many lives that day. Basically, what I wanna say is, thanks. You'll always be a hero to the Pussycats," the woman said, turning around and bowing before quickly getting back to leading the patrol.

Izuku couldn't contain himself. He began shining with an azure glow, tears flying out of his eyes and onto the ground on either side of him. The Raven rolled his eyes. "If you were just thanking him for saving you from that big old supervillain, you didn't need to turn the chat private! Fumi and I have watched that battle several times now! No need to be all secretive!" the sentient quirk quipped, his intuition being right on the money.

Ragdoll spun around with a grin. "You're just jealous that Izuku got a pretty lady chatting privately with him and you didn't!" she joked.

The Raven stuck out a...tongue? Tendril? "I am not! I don't even have a sexual orientation, you crazy cat lady!" the bird brain exclaimed.

"That's called being asexual, Raven."

"Nobody asked you, Fumi!"

The group was forced to stop with the banter for a while, as Izuku was beginning to glow a little too much, the joy in his heart spilling out into their surroundings as he held in his laughter.

On The Final Day Of Internships

Izuku stretched his limbs, a grin plastered on his face. "This has been really helpful! Learning from a more experienced telepathy user, and someone who can track others like I can will really come in handy someday!" he exclaimed happily.

With a roar, Pixie Bob leaped at him, a pounce Izuku expertly dodged. "WHAT AM I, CHOPPED LIVER?!" the geomancer shouted indignantly as Tora lifted her up by her armpits, the woman still clawing in Izuku's direction.

Izuku frowned apologetically. "Sorry, sorry! I just learned the most from those two! You and Tora taught me some valuable lessons as well! The necessity of pacing oneself when writing out paperwork, and the importance of streamlining mission prep will be sticking with me for a very long time!" the greying teen insisted.

With a finger to her lip, Tsuyu added her two cents. "Honestly, one of the biggest lessons I've learned this time around was to never underestimate Anima in a rural area, or any area with animals, actually. Does stuff like that happen all the time? That incident with the honey badger and the bees was honestly kinda terrifying," the leaping hero commented.

After poking his fingers together shyly for a few seconds, Anima responded. 'More often than you'd think, really. People forget about animals being a factor a lot, but I can't forget, since I can always hear what they're saying,' the adorable golem-headed teen signed.

With a chuckle, Izuku hovered off the ground, floating backwards as he spoke while continuing the patrol. "I'm just glad we haven't had to deal with any villains for once! Both my last internships had me ending up dealing with really scary villains, so I'm relieved I was able to stick to rescue work this time!" he said with a closed-eyed grin. Seconds later, an explosion was heard back in the direction of Kashyyyk Village...then a second, and a third…

"Murphy can eat an entire bag of dicks. His law sucks," Cobalt growled, aura flashing red as he sped off in the direction of the attack, picking up his comrades as he flew.

At The Base Of The Wroshyr Tree

Uravity did her best to keep calm as she directed everybody deeper into the tree, the enormous plant being as resistant to quirks as it was. "Don't push! Keep moving together! If you're old or disabled, ask for help! If you're healthy enough to help and an old or disabled person asks, give them a shoulder to walk with! Come on, we're almost all in!" she roared over the crowd, thankful for her strong set of lungs. Also thankful for the ability to put up a green barrier that could repel the attacks of whatever was shelling them. Shutting the door after the final straggler made it inside, she turned to Tsukuyomi. "Has The Raven spotted anybody else outside?" she asked worriedly.

Tsukuyomi shook his head. "Ragdoll's reporting that nobody but a single gigantic villain is outside right now. A travel advisory has been released ordering traffic to turn away, but out here there's less infrastructure, so the quicker we can deal with this, the less likely somebody with their radio turned off will drive into it. The others are inbound, and we're planning on a pincer maneuver," he reported.

Ochako was about to respond, only to freeze when a familiar sensation overcame her, one she'd thought she'd never experience again. Silver liquid emerged from her mouth, and she found herself warped to the outside of the barrier she'd put up.

Quickly, the girl floated up and away from the ground, finding herself next to the gigantic villain in question. "Gigantomachia…" she growled out, moving into a defensive stance.

The titanic villain looked up at her, expression dark. "Hostage acquired. Bring Midoriya Izuku. Bring One for All," the colossal evildoer said darkly.

With a roar, Uravity flew at the gargantuan monster, her fingers barely missing the beast, only tagging him with two of them. "Like I'd let you hurt him!" she shouted, a bit of red bleeding into her aura. She focused harder to prevent it from turning entirely red, not wanting to allow the still attacking Nomu free reign to the base of the wroshyr tree.

With a speed that surprised her, Gigantomachia suddenly grabbed the teen up, bringing her close to his face, seemingly inspecting her. He quickly flung her away, noticing her attempt to use her original quirk on her. "Still have quirk? Tenth carrier, then. You die instead."

With two bursts of power, the fight was met in earnest.

With Izuku's Group

Cobalt bit his lip in nervousness, having learned Gigantomachia's objective as soon as his partner had. "Don't do anything crazy, Uravity! We're almost there! Just hang in there!" he said, fear and worry and anger intensifying his crimson aura as he and the others approached. Explosions rocked the area the two combatants fought in, Uravity letting loose and giving as much as she got.

"Don't worry! I've got this bastard on the ropes-"

Her comment was interrupted, as Izuku fell to the ground, dropping his friends alongside him as he felt unimaginable pain, and heard a shriek of horror from just beyond the treeline. Picking himself up, the boy stumbled as he ran through to find out what happened.

Izuku's eyes widened. The world around him seemed to stop for a moment as he saw Uravity fall.

Correction; Uravity's upper half. Her bottom half had been destroyed in the last attack.

"WRAAAAAAAH! PHENEEEX!"

From up in the wroshyr tree, the machine responded, dropping down with an angry red aura pulling it to its user like a puppet. Before he was swallowed up by the machine and his rage, Izuku turned to the others. "Get her to Eri-chan! Her quirk is our only shot at saving her!" he commanded.

Instantly going into Enhanced Aura Mode, Phenex rushed Gigantomachia, landing an explosive punch to the villain's jaw. "Sorry, Izuku. I bit off more than I could chew. How bad was the damage to my body?" Uravity asked, her soul now piggybacking in the back of his head.

Izuku kept silent, knowing he'd break down if he thought too much about it. "That bad, huh? Don't worry, I'm not going to leave you that easy, okay? Get your head in the game, we can still do this!"

The head of Phenex nodded. Izuku knew she was right. First thing was first, though. Damage control. With a burst of speed, and using some of the actual rocket fuel stored in the machine, Izuku tackled Gigantomachia, and they flew, ascending into the sky, high enough that their attacks wouldn't harm anyone. With a roar, the villain flung Izuku off of him, fleshy protrusions coming out of his back and forming holes that began blowing out some kind of blue flame, allowing him flight.

"Girl is dead. Now number nine die- ARGH!"

The villain's rant was interrupted by a blow to the face, followed by a double-fisted slam, sending him careening further from Kashyyyk. "You talk too much," Cobalt noted coldly. 'How do I stop him, though? I'm not strong enough to take him alive, and killing him would…'

The villain grinned ominously. "Kill me, you die…" he said, apparently aware of his power's weakness. Then the monstrous villain expanded, suddenly twice the size of Phenex. "Trigger."

Cobalt was rocked by an explosion, and found himself in the middle of a crater. He went to stand up, but found an issue with that. "Hatume-san is going to kill me," he groaned, lamenting the loss of Phenex's left leg and arm, along with some of the torso. Looking up, he saw his opponent quickly descending, his arm morphed into some sort of wicked, curved blade.

"DIE, HERO!"

A blast of crimson interrupted the attack, Phenex's head turning to see…

"Thank you for being crazy, Hatsume-san."

A full-sized Kshatriya hovered ominously, its chest armor smoking after having fired off a shot. "I WAS going to come and pick you guys up, chat with Eri-chan on the way home about how much fun she had and whatnot, but this piece of shit villain just HAD to get in the way of that, didn't he?!" Marida ranted from within the machine.

"Sweetie, we can rant later. Screw you, I'm ranting right now! I'm gonna hang one of your pinkies on my wall like a trophy, asshole!" Twice added.

With a roar, Gigantomachia flew at his new target. "SQUASH ALL BUGS!"

It almost looked like the Kshatriya scowled after he said that. "Meimei, drop the squad on my location!"

"Seriously?"

"DID I FUCKING STUTTER?!"

"Yeesh, fine! Squad's dropping!"

Marida and Cobalt continued their melee with the villain, Izuku having found Phenex's discarded arm, which he was now using as a bludgeoning implement. With a shout, the heroes were flung into the ground by their foe. "DIE, BUGS!" Gigantomachia roared, preparing an attack, only to be bashed in the head by something from above, sending the villain crashing into the ground not far from the three heroes.

Upon shaking off the concussion from whatever the hell had hit him, Gigantomachia arose, finding himself surrounded by an army of power armors of various models. A hundred mono eyes flashed ominously, as a red Zaku II readied a bazooka, the rest of the machines levelling their weapons at the villain as well.

"Open fire."

"Shi-"

The rest of the villain's curse was drowned out by the rain of fire blasting him, along with robotic chanting.

"Sieg Zeon! Sieg Hatsume!"

The air was alight with explosions and live ammunition. The metal army did not need to be cautious with their firing. Their target was enormous, and difficult to miss. Regardless, they ceased firing to assess the situation and fall back a bit when half of their numbers were wiped out instantly by an explosive attack.

"ENOUGH! MY MASTER WILL BE AVENGED!"

"Surpriseastronautsayswhat?"

"What? WAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaah-"

With a groan, Izuku shut down Phenex and climbed out of the cockpit, turning to smirk at his girlfriend, who had just launched their opponent into the sky. "You've been spending too much time with the Bakusquad," he said with a laugh.

Uravity stood victorious, uninjured flesh showing from where her costume abruptly ended. "I'm really glad somebody had a spare pair of pants. I didn't want to have to finish this fight in only half an outfit," she said, dropping to lie down. With a tired chuckle, Izuku floated over and joined her, dropping to stare at the sky next to her.

The two looked at one another, and held hands, their fingers interlacing. With a smile that outshone the sun, Izuku spoke. "I love you," he said happily.

A bit flustered, Ochako turned to hide her blush. "I know. I love you too, Izuku," she said, turning back around again to grin at him.

The two laughed together, glad that the fight was over. The threat of All for One was officially dealt with, and now the heroes could focus on a less dangerous future.

The End

I mean, of the main plot. You'll be getting a bit more in the form of short snippets of character interactions and whatnot, but the primary plot is done. If you wanna move on to other things, now would be an ideal time. Thanks.


	34. Character Shorts 1

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirty-four_

Partway Through The Final Battle In Chapter Thirty-three

Eri was huddled up deep inside of the wroshyr tree, a panic room existing within each building built into the side of the titanic timber. She was a bit lonely, only having Haro for company at the time since everybody else in the Pussycats' agency was busy coordinating a response to the attack. The droid in possession of a soul was emitting calming music to help their carbon-based friend keep from panicking in full. Eri made a note to ask Haro what the track they were playing was called after the attack had been repelled.

Her head shot up when she heard the blast doors opening up, a slightly pale-looking Froppy entering the room. "Eri-chan, s-sorry to bother you, but…" the friendly hero tried to continue, but broke out in tears, unable to complete her statement.

Eri quietly walked over to her Aunt Froppy, Haro rolling with her and spraying a bit of mist at the amphibious hero in an attempt to help her feel more comfortable. "Auntie Froppy, what do you need?" the single-horned girl asked softly, a bit of fear in her heart in spite of her calm tone.

Hearing the girl seemed to bring Froppy out of it somewhat. "S-sorry. We...we need you to use your quirk. Ochako-chan's hurt bad, but...Sorry. Basically, you can save her. I've cooled down now, kero. You can stop, Haro-chan. It's not pretty, but Ochako-chan's alive, and you're the only one here who can put her back to normal. I've seen you practice before. I know you can do this, Eri-chan," the rainy season hero stated confidently, coming out of her stupor with the help of the tiny albino's gentle hand rubbing and the automaton's mist spray.

Eri simply nodded. "Okay. I'll do it," she said softly.

Not long later, Eri was in a room with the adults and...the top half of Uravity. Later on in life, Eri would reflect that she was grateful the attack that had hit her auntie had been hot enough to cauterize the entirety of the wound, or she would not be alive. The girl gulped, nerves gripping at her suddenly. She'd seen people lose entire halves of their body before, Overhaul not being at all subtle with his intimidation tactics, but this was different, very, very different.

This was someone she loved and looked up to. She...she couldn't possibly…

_"Eri-chan."_

The rewinder's head looked up suddenly. That had been Ochako's voice.

_"You can do it, Eri-chan. I believe in you. Just come here and take my hand. It'll be okay."_

The red-eyed girl felt a gentle pull, seeing the gentle green aura she had come to associate with her Uncle Izuku and Auntie Chako. It grasped her hand gently, and tugged towards the pink fingertipped hand of her auntie. With a swallow, and a burst of courage, Eri listened to her heart, and what her mama and papa have told her over and over now.

_'My quirk is a blessing. It is no curse. These hands were made to heal!'_

With a burst of hope, the nine-year-old clasped her auntie's hand in her much smaller one, the horn atop her head giving off a gentle glow as Eri pictured Auntie Chako from just a few days ago, playing video games with her, Kota-kun, and Haro-chan with a competitive grin on her face.

She was brought out of her thoughts when the hand in hers grasped back, strength and consciousness returned to its owner. A towel was quickly dropped over the hero in training to preserve her modesty, pants currently being sought out by one of the Pussycats' assistants.

Uravity sat up with a bit of a start before turning to pull her niece into a happy hug. "I knew you could do it, Eri-chan! You're my hero, kiddo!" she exclaimed as she kissed the albino's forehead gently. "Now I've just gotta get some pants, and Imma sneak up on that mook and send him to space!"

Many years later, Doctor Shuuzenji Eri would look back on that moment with great pride. She may not have gone into heroics like most of her aunties and uncles, but she knew she was a hero regardless.

Shortly After The USJ Incident

Ochako Uraraka smiled wistfully as she lay down to hit the hay. The get-together with the rest of the class had been nice, even if they couldn't convince Todoroki to join them. The feelings bubbling up in her heart, though…

The shifter of gravitational forces sighed softly, an innocent wish filling her heart as she gradually began losing wakefulness.

_'I wish we could be _more_ than we are now…'_

The girl found herself in the midst of a very lucid dream shortly after, most of the world around her startlingly lifelike for a dream, outside of the fact that she couldn't properly figure out the features of those around her. These dream denizens walked around, living their temporary lives, as the brunette noticed a familiar bushel of green hair amongst the featureless people. With a grin, she ran to her friend. Dream version or not, she was glad to see him.

"Midoriya-kun!" she exclaimed, the head turning around along with the rest of him as he ran to greet her, a relieved smile on her face.

"Uraraka-san! I'm glad to see you! Let's hang out, okay?" he called out with a grin.

A thought formed in Ochako's mind. _'This is just a dream, so it should be okay, right?'_ she wondered to herself. Deciding to take the plunge, she asked warmly, "You wanna go on a date? We're in the city, so there's gotta be someplace we could enjoy ourselves at!"

The verdette became incredibly flustered. "Um, y-yeah...P-please treat me kindly…" he mumbled, reaching his hand out shyly, which she gladly took, pleased to see a tiny, silly smile spread across his freckled face at the action.

The two ended up going to a small park, where some of the featureless people were just watching their featureless kids be kids. The pair eventually ended up pushing one another on a swing that one of the kids offered them kindly.

Ochako gazed softly at the dream version of her best friend, wondering to herself if the real Izuku would find such joy in something like this. A darker thought reminded her that the boy hadn't enjoyed such a thing properly for most of his childhood, but she banished the anger, focusing on the joy the teen was clearly feeling at being pushed on the swing, before stopping the boy with a giggle. "Come on, let's try out the jungle gym!" she suggested with a grin.

What felt like hours later, the pair was relaxing on a patch of grass, gazing at the sky. Ochako turned to her date, a frown on her face. _'Why can't we be like this in real life?'_ she thought to herself before turning back to gaze at the blue expanse above them.

If she'd kept looking a while longer, she'd have caught the boy turning to her, a similarly sad look on his face before he, too, went back to gazing at the sky.

The world seemed to shake around them, startling the two out of their reverie, the screams of frightened people reaching their ears. A second quake had Izuku back on the ground, before he gasped in shock and pointed at the sky, Ochako's eyes following his gesture.

A vast orb of...something...was hurtling downwards from space. It gave off a horrible feeling, making the heroics students feel sick. Ochako found herself crying a little as some part of her realized that her dream had personified the doubts clouding her heart. As she collapsed to the ground in sadness, a hand found its way into her line of sight.

"Uraraka-san, we can beat this, but I need your help."

Ochako gazed up to see the hand outstretched to her was that of her heart's desire, the boy who had turned her world upside down over the past few months. His teary eyes focused on hers. "I believe in you, Uraraka-san. Do you...do you believe in me?" he asked, face set in determination.

The fears in her heart suddenly less heavy than seconds ago, the brunette nodded, taking the freckled empath's hand into hers. "I believe in you, Midoriya-kun. Let's do this."

The two rose to their feet defiantly, hand in hand as an azure glow encompassed them. They flew, closer and closer to that vast orb of ugly, hurting feelings, and past it, Ochako tagging it as they flung themselves into the sky.

"G-Force Combo: Orbital Slingshot!" they roared as Izuku's blue aura reached out and pulled the orb up into the stars with them, the verdette eventually letting go as the ball of screaming sadness was sent back from whence it came.

The pair suddenly found themselves free-falling, neither Izuku's aura nor Ochako's quirk responding to their attempts to use them. In desperation, the pair reached out to one another, gradually getting closer, closer…

Izuku woke up with a start, his hand outstretched as it had been in the dream. He slowly brought it down, examining it as if it held the answers to the problems plaguing his heart. With teary eyes, he wished aloud, "I wish I was worthy of someone like her."

The two didn't learn until over a year later that this dream had been more than a dream.

A Month After The Events Of Chapter Thirty-three

Inko smiled fondly as she and Izuku prepared a nice dish of Katsudon, Ao in the family room playing a video game with his mechanic, who was there to install a software update, and was now simply ensuring her work was done correctly.. The American girl was very well-mannered, even if she was a bit eccentric at times, so Inko had no problem with her being there for this momentous occasion.

Inko finally had both of her baby boys home for dinner.

Next to her, Izuku was doing his best not to cry and potentially ruin the meal prep, but Inko had made it clear to both her sons that as long as they kept it on the property, they needn't restrain their auras. Needless to say, Izuku was glowing a bright azure, and Inko smiled as she occasionally caught flashes of the same color from the family room. "Are ya winning, son?" Inko called out with a laugh to her Ao. This got a laugh from all three of the teenagers.

Not long after, the four were seated at the table, gazing hungrily at the meal before them. "Itadakimasu!" they exclaimed. Dinner was mostly uneventful, outside of Ao's left arm shutting down unexpectedly at one point, forcing Melissa to do some quick, on the spot adjustments that seemed to work for now. Inko couldn't tell if it was a trick of the light or not, but she could have sworn she saw Ao blush when the pretty blond mechanic opened a compartment in the back of his head to uninstall the update meant to make the teen ambidextrous.

Needless to say, Inko would be enjoying teasing her son about his first crush.


	35. Character Shorts 2

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirty-five_

An Undisclosed Day, Post Chapter Thirty-Three

Izuku pinched his nose in exasperation, a foreign sensation reminding him that he should _always_ respect people with female plumbing. Living together as a class has caused his female classmates' and Koda's (He hadn't even been aware the boy was trans) cycles to synchronize. Normally, this wouldn't bother him outside of feeling sympathetic for them on really bad days, but he was psychically linked to one of them. Ochako had it rough, and so right now, so did _he._

And wouldn't you know it? They were out of several important products. He wasn't going to have Momo head out if she didn't have to, so as the Vice Rep, and somebody who's done this before, it was his duty to obtain the aforementioned supplies. The most embarrassing part was mostly alleviated, since he didn't need to specifically ask which of his classmates needed what, only actually knowing what was going to his own partner due to their Bond. The boy knew well enough to also obtain chocolate and some other sweets.

The cashier gave him a look of sympathy as the empath made his purchase. They knew who he was by now, and it was very possible they'd had to make the same supply runs before. With a jaunty salute, Izuku skedaddled with the supplies. Now, he just had to make it back to…

What. The fuck.

A villain with a gigantification quirk was just down the street from him. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, however they were between him and his destination. With a roll of his eyes, Izuku ascended, taking advantage of the Z axis to get to eye level with the villain.

"Would you kindly stop, Villain-san? I need to get some urgent supplies to U.A., and I'd rather not deal with you on top of this headache I've got," the freckled teen said tiredly, a glare marring his normally cheery face.

The villain threw a punch, which Izuku blocked, then grasped with his green aura, turning the block into a grapple. "So, you've chosen death. Okay, come with me," the teen said, startling the crowd below and the villain by dragging it with him to the campus.

It didn't take long for the villain to realize what Izuku was doing, and that they couldn't escape his grasp. "Come on, kid! Just let me go! You don't have to take me to U.A.! They'll _kill_ me!" the evildoer pleaded.

Izuku grinned a little, sensing his male classmates, sans Koda, emerging from the dorm to meet up with him. "Don't worry. They'll only kill you a little bit," the greyed hero said with a little too much mirth in his voice.

Izuku rounded the corner, and saw his bros on approach. With a flourish, he tossed the villain to them. "Have fun with the extra credit, guys! I've gotta get these supplies to the dorm!"

As Izuku flew past them, he heard his explosive friend let out a roar. **"Come get y'all respect women juice!"**

The cries for mercy from the villain made him chuckle a little. What really made him smile was the relieved look on his partner's face upon seeing the chocolate in the bag with the supplies. He happily fed her some himself when she demanded he do so, even if he couldn't get his blush down as he did so. Being her boyfriend in general just made him happy.

Summer Of Their Second Year

Ochako frowned slightly as she gazed up at the azure sky. She had really wanted to go up against Izuku again in the Sports Festival. She wanted to properly fight him this time, no Ao to interfere, and no confused feelings to get in the way. However…

Izuku had lost in the second round, a ring out. He'd gotten too into the fight that he forgot where he was, and in his euphoria, touched the wall circling the arena to rebound at his opponent. She wasn't upset at either him or Mina for that. They'd both been having a good time in their match, and Izuku needed to learn to pay attention to his surroundings even when he was high on his own dopamine.

It still bugged her, though. She didn't even know _why_ she wanted to fight him. Some part of her mind was convinced it'd be really fun. She didn't have to ask him, it seemed, however.

_"Wanna spar?"_

Honestly, she loved that the two of them could just _feel_ when the other wanted something sometimes. The brunette pulled her legs back and kicked herself off the ground, using a bit of One for All in her hop. She turned to see her boyfriend digging four of his armor's shield bits into the ground, to form the corners of their makeshift ring. From the concentrated look he was making, the rosy-cheeked teen assumed he was making their ring the exact same size and shape as the ring they'd fought in prior. With a confident grin and a nod, the four shield bits created a construct between them, the ring now complete.

Mei, who had been testing one of her gadgets nearby, came running when she saw what was going on. "Ooh! I'll be the ref! My goggles will record the match in crazy high def, and they'll inform me if one of you rings out!" the rosette called out excitedly as she ran to them.

The happy couple agreed, then got into their positions. Before they could begin, a quirk-enhanced voice called out to them. **"WAAAAAAIIIIT!"** Present Mic called out, then took his place to the side and, with a grin, called the start of the match. "READYYY? CLASH!"

The two heroes in training hovered above the ring for a couple seconds, layering their bodies with green aura while simultaneously activating One for All, green and pink lightning sparking off of their forms as bright red power surged beneath their flesh.

**CRACK! BAM! THOOM!**

The pair connected thunderous blows, each attack as loud as a gunshot, and carrying enough force to mess up the hair of their spectators. Present Mic and Mei, being the closest, were actually pushed back a little by the force. While their attacks were fierce, Mei was noticing something...interesting.

"They aren't dealing any damage to each other," she remarked thoughtfully. Knowing those two, they were completely aware of this by now, so each would be looking for an opening to try something new.

With a burst of speed and blue aura, Izuku disengaged, moving further skyward. Glowing with a matching azure light, Ochako followed. The two began slamming into one another, completely forgoing the green aura now for its cobalt counterpart, going for more powerful attacks that should have done damage. And yet…

"Hey, you mind sending a copy of that recording to the staff later, Listener? Shota-kun and Nezu-san in particular are gonna wanna go over it with a fine-toothed comb," the voice hero commented with a grin. Mei merely nodded. She was glad she was recording this with one of her better pairs of goggles.

"They're gonna be at it for a while. It's literally a match of attrition if they stay that high up. I get the feeling they don't _want_ it to end, though," another voice said from nearby. Himiko, along with Eri and Jin, had wandered over, the powerful clashes quickly attracting more and more students and faculty.

With a chuckle, Mei reached out behind her to where she knew her friend was and pulled her into a side hug. "You might be right, Ko-chan. It'd explain why they've been grinning this whole time, at least!" A beeping indicated something unusual happening, and a bit of text ran across her HUD. "Oh, looks like Midoriya-chan's pulling out the big guns! I wonder how Uraraka-chan will respond to this!"

Stretching out her senses, Himiko soon figured out what her friend meant. "Oh. I keep forgetting he can do stuff like that," she said as she gazed into the distance behind Ochako, sensing more than seeing the pipes and other such junk that her brother had pulled out of one of the training grounds as it approached at high speeds. It did not take long for the wave of improvised projectiles to arrive, a few of them slamming into Ochako's back as they flew past her to surround her boyfriend in orbiting rings of metal and concrete. The grey-haired teen gave his girlfriend a challenging grin.

In response, the brunette gestured with her hand, and off to the side, a young tree was uprooted, flying to her side where she grasped it with both her quirk and her aura. With a smirk, she pointed the oversized melee weapon at her partner, making a 'come hither' gesture with her free hand.

_"Your move."_

The rings of junk began spreading out and moving swiftly, orbiting in more and more rings faster and faster around their current wielder as Class 2-A's Dark Lord of Smiles hovered ominously closer to his opponent, who readied her weapon as she flew at him, smashing past his defenses as they simultaneously whittled down her arbor-based bludgeoning implement. Soon they collided, Izuku's projectiles all flung far away, even if they were still under his control, and Ochako's tree reduced to a piece of trunk in her hand.

With elation in their hearts, the two separated one final time. Izuku began focusing his blue aura behind him, prepping for a high speed attack, while Ochako applied her quirk to the piece of tree trunk, the wood giving off an eerie black and white glow as it was charged with gravity.

Before any of the spectators realized it, it was over. A loud blast heralded the final attack, which Himiko shielded them all from, surprising herself when her aura turned green as she did it. Both combatants were flat on the ground, the ring having dissipated as soon as Izuku realized the fight was over. The two young lovers began laughing like loons, their hair and clothes messed up as they rose from where they fell to embrace one another. Eri, glad that nobody got hurt, ran over to her aunt and uncle to hug the two of them.

"I and many of the voices in my head are curious. Who won that?" Jin asked curiously, hovering over Mei, who was going over the footage to figure that out.

With a laugh, Mei thrust her goggles upwards. "It was a tie, HA! Ochako's attack got knocked up by Izuku at the last second as he flew at her, but it still went off and slammed them both down! That looked friggin' nuts in slow motion!" the mad mechanic announced.

Himiko rolled her eyes at how cliche the idea of the lovers tieing was, even as she gazed fondly at the green aura she was suddenly able to produce. _'I guess I have enough love in my heart to do stuff like this now. I'm glad,'_ she thought to herself fondly, even as her partner grasped her glowing hand in his.

"Marry me. _You're already married, you goof!_ MARRY ME AGAIN, THEN!"

The woman couldn't contain herself. She drew in all of her nearby friends, and with mirth in her heart, called for a group hug.

A Day Or So After The Prosthetic Bodies Were Filled

Oboro Shirakumo wandered the halls of U.A., not certain where he really wanted to go. Being alive again was nice, however...the amount of time he'd been essentially dead was scarily long. Part of him wanted to find Hizashi, Nemuri, and Shota, but he was a little afraid that he would be too out of the loop to connect to them again.

He was startled out of his musings when a hand gently clasped his shoulder. Whirling around, the young man blinked back tears at the somewhat blank face gazing back at him.

With a somewhat creepy-looking grin (some things never changed, did they?), Eraserhead gestured his head towards the window. "How about we go on patrol, Loud Cloud?"

The young man grinned at his friend, nodding. "Sure thing, Shota."

It wasn't long after that the pair was outside of the gates of U.A., patrolling the neighborhood in the area. The comfortable silence was broken by comfortable conversation. "So, they tell me that they tried to replicate your quirk somewhat via technology. How successful were they?"

Oboro grinned at his friend, and began producing a thick mist from his body that encompassed an area of maybe ten cubic meters, before the boy emerged above the cloud, hovering via jets using green particles that were very familiar to the homeroom teacher.

"I can't ride my clouds anymore, and I can't control them once they're formed, but I can make a really efficient smokescreen that I can see inside of perfectly. Even better, I've still got my bojutsu skills, and they've given me a collapsible one that just pops out like so!" the teen exclaimed as a compartment in his wrist opened up, ejecting a short rod that extended into a bo that he whirled around with a flourish.

Shota nodded with a smirk. "Cool. I can work with that. Our combos will be different, but they'll still be efficient. By the way, I've got a present for ya," he said, fishing through his pockets for something, before extracting a very familiar pair of goggles. "I only repaired them initially, but when I learned you'd be coming back, I made sure to reinforce them properly. I guess it's not much of a gift, since they used to be yours anyway, but…" the scruffy man trailed off, extending his goggle-filled hand to his friend as he looked away with a bit of a frown on his face.

The goggles were quickly snatched up, and placed back whence they came from long ago. "Thanks, Shota. Really good to have these back," the cloud jumper said fondly, before grinning big and asking, "So, how are Hizashi-kun and Kayama-senpai?"

"They're both teachers at U.A., and decent heroes as well. If you tune into channel four oh one at nine on Saturdays, you'll hear Hizashi yapping on his own show. Sushi's still around as well, you'll be happy to know. I'm sure Kayama will be happy to let you see her later on. Hold on a sec…" the Erasure Hero put a finger up to the comlink in his ear, listening in on a situation. "This is Eraserhead. Loud Cloud and I will be there in two minutes. Eraserhead out."

With a grin, Loud Cloud locked eyes with his partner, already activating his hover jets. "Where to, buddy?"

"Three blocks to the east, just a little to the north. Former Yakuza punks with too much time on their hands. Easy enough for us. Try to keep up." With no warning other than that, Aizawa was already atop a roof.

Grinning even wider, Loud Cloud took off after his friend. "I always knew you'd make it, Shota," he said to himself softly.

Soon, the two found themselves nearing the scene of the crime. A trio ejected from the Eight Precepts were terrorizing a marketplace. "I'll get the handsy one and the hungry-looking fellow. You get that guy covered in diamonds. This won't take long," the erasure hero said confidently as the two of them dropped to the ground and sped into action.

Getting the bejeweled villain's attention wasn't difficult. The enhanced strength his mechanical body granted him wasn't anything on the level of a strength-enhancing quirk, but it was more than enough to pick his opponent up and throw him a couple meters further from the fleeing civilians. "Now that I have your attention, time for my second debut! I'm Loud Cloud, and you're toast!" he exclaimed, already ejecting a large cloud of mist, thus obscuring the vision of his foe.

Oboro's vision, on the other hand…It just swapped to heat-based vision. A small drone popped out of his neck, and began hovering around the clouded area, an override within his body swapping his voice output from his mouth to the drone. As the hero and drone confused their foe with sneak attacks and jeers, Loud Cloud realized his opponent wasn't really taking any damage. _'Oh well, time for my new attack,'_ he thought to himself as his voice drone returned, docking once more with his main body.

Sending a mental command to the generator within his body, Loud Cloud called out his attack name. "Finishing Move: Thundercloud!" he shouted, releasing the excess electricity into the cloud of mist around him and his foe. Blowing away the cloud of mist with his particle jets, the hero stood triumphantly over his fallen opponent, who Shota was already preparing to restrain, having quickly finished off his opponents as well.

Shota tossed him a bottle of water, having taken two from a stall and left money and a note. "Drink up. I know for a fact that that body of yours needs food, and I don't know if you can feel it or not, but overcharging your generator _should_ make you hungry, not to mention the clouds of mist. We'll get lunch when we get back to the school," the schoolteacher slash hero ordered with a frown, before sitting down next to his friend and taking a sip from his own bottle, police already rounding up the trio of villains.

As the pair sat together, Oboro grinned mirthfully. _'Guess I was worried for nothing. We'll all be just fine.'_

The Same Day

Returning to life was something Nana Shimura hadn't expected to happen. However, now, here she was, inhabiting an artificial body capable of replicating her original quirk. One for All had apparently been given away twice since her passing, and it hadn't really been part of her main repertoire anyway, outside of the really crazy fights, so she wasn't that bothered by its loss.

She kinda missed it right now, though, because she needed to punch something really, REALLY hard. Nearly all of her descendants had been slain in a freak accident, and her surviving grandson had been turned to villainy by her greatest nemesis.

Her apprentice had tried his best to keep the fate of her family a secret, but Toshi was just too honest, even in his old age. Oh, wow, it was weird thinking about how her apprentice is now _older_ than she is. Nearly twice her age, in fact.

Now, however, she was seated in front of an incredibly thick window, gazing at the young man on the opposite side. Her grandson. Tenko Shimura. Villain Name: Tomura Shigaraki. He glared at her, clearly unhappy to see her.

"I'm sorry, Tenko-kun. I was wrong to leave our family. I...I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you," she said softly.

The white-haired villain snarled. "Sorry? You're sorry?! No apology will _ever_ make up for what happened to me! But look at me, calling the kettle black. I _killed_ all of them, Granny. My big sister, who I adored, my parents, my _mom's_ parents...I even killed _the dog!_ It hurt so much! And it all could have been avoided if you had just _been there for us!"_ the man screamed, struggling against his bonds for a moment before settling down. "I wanted to meet you so bad when I was a kid, you know? Guess at least one thing I wanted in life came true," he commented in a more subdued tone.

Nana released a deep breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. "You're right. Nothing I do can ever make up for that. However...may I keep visiting you? I was a less than ideal grandmother before, but I'd like to at least make sure you're staying healthy," she said softly.

Tenko turned to look at the wall, refusing to meet her gaze. "Do whatever you want. I don't care," he said quietly, hatred still in his heart.

The seventh wielder nodded. "I'll see you soon, then, Tenko-kun," she said softly, getting up from her seat and exiting the visiting area. It didn't take her long to reach the parking lot, where Toshi had been waiting. She'd need to renew her driver's license at some point, so that the poor boy-no, man, wouldn't have to drive her everywhere.

Starting up the car, Toshi drove them away. "Are you going to be okay, Master?" he asked quietly.

The young woman answered despite the quiet tears. "I'll need something to take my mind off of this bullshit, but I'm going to come back. I'll get through to him someday, Toshi. Mark my words, I'll have my grandson back, even if he never leaves that place," she responded, face set with resolve.

Toshi nodded, a small smile on his face. "You'll do it. I have faith in you, Master. As for something to distract you, well, my students will be returning from their internships in a few days. I think you'll like them," the emaciated former pro said fondly.

Smiling a little, Nana turned to look at her apprentice. "Tell me about them, Toshi."

"Well, the first one I met was this quirkless fanboy with a heart of gold…"


	36. Character Shorts 3

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirty-six_

One Morning During The First Week Of U.A.

Katsuki Bakugou rose with the sun. The boy peered out the window of his bedroom, and let out a roar. **"FUCK YOU, SUN! THINK YOU'RE HOT SHIT, GETTING UP WHEN I DO?! I'LL FRIGGIN' PUNCH YOUR LIGHTS OUT!"**

The teen doesn't mean much of what he says, but he needs to let off steam somehow, and the sun isn't exactly gonna start crying in a way that tugs his heartstrings, no matter _how_ tough he pretends to be. _'Dammit, Izuku. Why do you have to be so fucking adorable.'_

Minutes Later

**"GRRRRRRRRRR! RAGH! DIE, GERMS AND DIRT AND STUPID NITROGLYCERIN SWEAT!"** the ash blond shouts as he scrubs himself clean in the shower. He looks down to where he knows his mouth is. **"You're next, fuckers. Ninety-nine point nine percent of you shits are gonna get genocided out of my mouth!"** he comments menacingly.

From what he knew of the morning routines of other people, he knew his was an odd setup, screaming bloody murder at the mess that he cleaned off of his body. **"BLOODY MURDER! BLOODY MURDER!"**

He didn't give a fuck that he was weird. Normal was overrated and boring, and could suck his left pinky toe.

Several More Minutes Later

**"MOVE IT, OLD MAN! THIS IS MY DOMAIN! IF YOU WANT A SHIT BREAKFAST, GO TO MCDONALD'S! IF YOU WANT KICKASS BREAKFAST, SIT THE FUCK DOWN AT THE TABLE AND WAIT A FEW!"**

The old fart sat down with a proud smile. Fucker better be smiling. This food's gonna be majestic, and he knows it. **"BURN, FUCKERS! BURN SO MY SHITTY PARENTS AND I CAN EAT THE FUCK OUT OF YOU!"** he cackles as he cooks, surprisingly meticulous despite his apparent madness.

Breakfast was delicious, as fucking usual. The boy mentally thanked Izuku for having the patience to help him in home ec during middle school. _'You majestic fucking bastard. Fucking get over your shyness and confess to Round Cheeks already! You fuckers would be so damn adorable together!'_ he thought to himself as he quickly downed his food.

Around Half An Hour Later

The explosives expert saw red. He was walking to class, and caught up to the two fuckers he'd been thinking about earlier. The two of them were fine, except…

_**'There's a whole fucking meter between them!'**_

Steaming with rage, the ash blond approached, shoving past Mina who'd been watching the pair as well, and roughly ruffling the hair of his new friend Tooru, who'd been right next to her. Izuku, probably sensing his irritation, turned around and smiled at him. "Hi, Kacchan!" he exclaimed happily.

Not skipping a beat, Katsuki let out a warscream and lifted his best friend up by his armpits, then foisted him over to Round Face. **"HOLD THIS SHITTY NERD FOR ME, ROUND CHEEKS! HE'S IN MY WAY!"** he demanded, refusing to set the squirming boy down until his demands were met. It didn't take long, since they were both plenty fucking smart, and now he was glaring at the awkward couple-that-wasn't-yet as his rage simmered down, then nodded firmly to himself and continued on his way.

Tooru and Mina caught up to him quicker than the two dumb lovebirds, conniving grins on their faces. "So, you want them to get together too, huh?" the acid launcher said conspiratorially.

Neither of them could see the grin on Tooru's face, but Katsuki could hear it in the tone of Tooru's voice. "See? I told you he has a sweet, soft side! He'll totally help us get them together!" she exclaimed, sleeves flapping in a manner that implied she was waving her arms excitedly.

"Fucking morons, I'm not helping you with something dumb like that," he said, not shouting for once. "Nothing to help with. Those dumb fucks are already attached at the hip in a way none of us will ever experience. They might as well already be married. Them getting together is fucking inevitable."

"Like everybody in the class becoming your friend?"

"Fuck yeah, like that. Friendship is inevitable. Now hurry the fuck up. I don't wanna be late because of stupid fucking gossip."

Eri's First Day Of School

Himiko smiled down at her daughter, who she was still holding by her tiny hand. Jin, who had the tiny tot's other hand, couldn't stop crying, a clone of his helping by applying tissues. "I can't believe it's our baby's first day of school already! They grow up so fast! _It feels like we haven't even had her more than a year! __**That's because we haven't, moron!**_ You two shut it! I'm too emotional on my own, I don't need your feelings getting in the mix! _Sorry! __**Sorry."**_

Eri glanced adoringly at her parents, then at the quirk inhibitors disguised as bracelets that they'd gotten her. As if sensing her thoughts, Himiko knelt down to her level, a look of pride and love in her eyes. "Remember, these kids can be dumb sometimes, but I guarantee you'll find a friend or two here. Tsuyu-chan's kid sister, Satsuki-chan, will be in your class if you need a suggestion of who to start with. Work diligently, but be sure to ask for help if you need it. Be yourself, and don't be afraid. Also," at this, her eyes turned serious. "Remember, you are very much allowed to remove your bracelets if you need to use your quirk, and if you need me for _anything,_ I'm just a thought away."

Tears brimming from both girls' eyes, Himiko wrapped her arms around her baby girl, with Jin lifting the bundle of huggles into a hug of his own. _"We love you so, so much!"_ the two spoke into her heart as one, letting their adoration and pride and wonderful, wonderful love flow into the tiny girl's heart unfiltered before setting her down, and letting her walk into the school herself. Eri turned around when she got to the front door, and saw the two of them still there, proud smiles on their faces. It was an entire minute after she'd entered that the two of them left, off to do their jobs.

Shortly after introducing her to the class, the teacher gave their students a quick free period, in the hopes that some of the more outgoing students would befriend the new kid. With a gentle nudge, the teacher indicated a girl with green hair in short pigtails who was waving for Eri to come over. Recognizing the shape of the girl's eyes, the shade of her hair, and the slightly crouched posture, Eri quickly made her way over, then bowed slightly. "N-nice to meet you. My name is Shuuzenji Eri," she offered quietly.

"Asui Satsuki. Call me Sachan. Neechan told me you'd be showing up today, and gave me the gist of your situation. Not too many details, though, so don't worry about that-kero," the girl said plainly, apparently taking after her sister. Looking at the sleeves of the long-sleeved shirt Eri wore beneath her school uniform, Satsuki commented, "You like wearing stuff beneath your uniform too, huh? My quirk makes me jumpy in the most literal sense, so I never go without some shorts under my skirt. So, you got any favorite shows or book series?"

Eri smiled shyly, turning a bit red. "I-I've started watching Avatar: The Last Airbender recently. It's my mama's first time seeing it, too, so we're watching it together," she explained quietly.

Satsuki blinked, a tiny grin appearing on her face. _'Adorable,'_ she thought to herself. "That's a really fun show. I'm not gonna spoil anything for you if you tell me what part you're on," the girl offers.

"W-well, they just met Toph. I forget the episode number, since it's been a bit since we had time to get back to it, but people keep telling me I'm gonna love her," she responds with a smile.

"Those people are right. Toph is so awesome that I'm having trouble containing myself from fangirling about her. Subject change, so I don't end up spoiling anything. How's life over at the dorms? Neechan says that there isn't much unusual about it, but I wanna know for sure."

"Oh, it's very nice. It's like we're all just a big family. I...I really like it," the unicorn girl said, a faraway look in her eyes as she reminisced about life with her big, silly family.

"Hey, hey, what's this? Why's the new kid wearing these stupid long sleeves?" a boy with pointed grey hair and yellow eyes said with a nasty grin, reaching for her sleeves before Eri pulled away, Satsuki quickly getting between them.

"Leave her alone, Tennou-san. That's none of your business," the amphibious girl said warningly.

With a smirk, the boy continued his prodding. "What, does the little weirdo cut herself?" he asked cruelly.

He might have continued, but he was cut off when Eri _glared_ at him with such spite that he was momentarily frightened. "I didn't cut myself. Somebody else cut me," she said venomously.

Before he could attempt a response, the teacher called out to him. "Hariko-kun, quit it. Don't make me write up a report again," they said, causing the boy to let out a huff of disappointment before he went back to his seat. "All right, kids, get back to your seats. There's an empty seat behind Satsuki-chan, so you can sit there, Eri-chan. Okay, let's do some math…"

A Few Hours Later

Eri sat with her new friend at recess, the two girls quietly reading two separate books in a series. Anticipating such a situation, Satsuki had brought the first book in the series for her new friend. Eri had been incredibly grateful to her mother for teaching her to read, even if her method had been unorthodox. Directly sharing the memories of when she learned to read was definitely not how most kids learned, she knew.

Occasionally, one of the two would giggle at something funny they'd read, or gasp at a twist that had come out of nowhere. The quiet between them was one born of comfort, and while they didn't speak much, each girl would occasionally peer at the other to check and see how they were doing.

Eri was about to turn to the next page, when a shriek of pain was heard from the playground, accompanied by a cracking sound that the silver-haired girl was all too familiar with. Looking up, Eri saw that the boy who had bullied her before had fallen from some of the equipment in a less than safe manner, and could already tell that he'd broken something. Surprising herself, the girl got up and was next to the bully in seconds, removing her bracelets as she got settled next to the screaming boy.

"Sachan, hold my bracelets please," she said, voice full of conviction. The greenette did as her friend asked, and watched on curiously.

"Hey, you kids, get out of the way! I've gotta get this kid treated-" the recess staff member who'd come to perform first aid said, only to be interrupted by a sudden flash of bright light, and a gasp of confusion that replaced the screaming.

Her job done, Eri got up and started walking away, Satsuki handing her bracelets back. "You know, you didn't have to help him-kero. I'm impressed regardless, but why'd you do it?" the sister of Froppy asked curiously.

Eri answered so softly, her friend almost didn't hear her. "I don't like seeing people suffer. That's all it is, really," she said.

The albino was startled when a pair of arms wrapped her in a hug. "You're really sweet. I'm pretty sure we would have been great friends even if my sister hadn't told me about you-kero," Satsuki said happily.

Tearing up a bit, Eri turned around and wrapped her new friend in a hug as well. "You're really sweet, too, Sachan. Thanks for being my friend," she said with a grin.

The rest of the school day went by pretty uneventfully, other than Hariko apologizing for his earlier behavior after learning it had been her that had healed him. Eventually, the school day ended, and Eri met with Himiko, who'd been waiting outside, hidden from the eyes of others. Several of her classmates let out gasps of surprise upon learning that Eri's mom was the pro hero Marida when the power armor-clad woman gently grasped the albino's hand and began walking her home.

"So, how was your day?" Himiko asked, the pink monoeye on her armor's head turning to look at her daughter.

Eri started going on a spiel about what she'd learned, before she was stopped by her mother letting out a peal of laughter. "No, silly, I mean, did you make any friends?"

Blushing slightly, Eri nodded. "Sachan was really nice, and there was a bully, but I don't think I'll have to worry about him anymore since I fixed his leg less than a minute after he broke it. He apologized, too, so that was nice," the albino commented quietly.

Beneath her armor, Himiko grinned. "Attagirl. Kill 'em with kindness, and if you do so by proving that Kai fucker wrong over and over again, all the better! Did the lunch I packed you keep okay?"

As the two continued their conversation, a happy atmosphere surrounded them. Through it all, Eri could not stop smiling.

One Evening, About Half A Year After Graduating From U.A.

Izuku and Ochako both blushed heavily, as they realized what time was upon them. They had an early day tomorrow, since there was still more unpacking to do before they headed out to the Nighteye agency, so they couldn't put it off any longer. They'd set up two beds, but that was more to keep from being embarrassed by their friends and parents who'd helped them move.

"Y-you can use the bathroom first, Izuku," the brunette rescue hero stammered nervously.

"N-no, y-you can g-go first. I d-don't think I'd be able t-to shave with my hands as sh-shaky as they are r-right now," the greyed hero replied, lifting said jittering hands to prove his point.

Taking a quick gulp, Ochako nodded. "O-okay, then. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Thankfully, the two were able to complete their nightly rituals without much hassle. Now the pair were in bed together. Somehow, the two of them were even more nervous than when they'd made love in their third year.

_"This is the start, huh?"_ Izuku said via telepathy, not trusting his voice right now.

_"Yeah, it is, isn't it?"_ the brunette at his back responded in kind, a tiny smile forming on her face.

_"The start of our life together."_ they said together, grins accompanying their blushes as they finally turned around to look at each other.

Gazing warmly at one another, the pair began focusing on the features of their partner's face. Izuku looked intently at Uravity's pupils, seeing stars in them that he'd only ever seen in the dark of night, then glanced at the pink spots on her cheeks that had changed over the years to be like swirling nebulae, though you could only see it when you were close.

Meanwhile, Ochako was gazing at the green eyes of Cobalt, which they'd all found out would glow softly anytime he was looking at her during their second year, though it could only be seen at night, and even then, you had to be looking for it. She looked at his freckles, the cute spots that had always made her smile, especially when there was a smile directly below them. Unable to contain her silliness, she reached up with a finger and poked one of them. "Boop."

The pair giggled happily, the glow in Izuku's eyes going from green to blue as he reached a hand up and grasped hers in it. He pouted slightly at the specialized gloves she wore, covering two of her fingers on each hand for when she slept, and Ochako let out a short laugh. "You really like my finger pads too much, Izuku," she teased the young man, bringing her other hand up to ruffle his hair.

With an uncharacteristic smirk, Izuku leaned forward and left a quick kiss on his girlfriend's lips, turning the teasing back over to her. "Thank you so much, Ochako," he said with a toothy grin.

Blushing heavily, the pink cheeked girl asked, "F-fer what, ya dork?"

"For being born, for being Ochako, and for being my partner." It was said with such a bright smile, Ochako couldn't help but grin herself.

"Thank you, too, then. For bein' born, for bein' Izuku, and for bein' my partner," she replied, pulling the former verdette into a hug that turned into a cuddle session that lasted until they'd both fallen asleep.

They were very thankful that they'd have many more nights like this, to reflect on how happy they were to be together. After all…

This was just the start.


	37. Character Shorts 4

The Bright Hero, Cobalt

_Chapter Thirty-seven_

A/N: Recently joined the IzuOcha Temple discord server. They're so friggin' wholesome there, and I love it! If you love IzuOcha and positivity, head on over!

Sometime In Class A's Second Year

Izuku frowned slightly as he did some last minute checks. _'Sap Shots? Check. Shields? Double check. Got four now. I-Fields? No way to really test them currently, but they've worked fine thus far…'_

_"Baby bro, I can't hear your monologuing, but I can definitely _feel_ it. Don't worry so much. We're gonna be fine. Besides, you aren't even sticking around after dropping everyone off in the hot zone. You're beelining it for the others and picking people off almost as soon as you land,"_ Himiko reminded him, needlessly, but at least it made him less nervous that his sister wasn't worried.

Within the cockpit of Phenex, Izuku smiled. _"Thanks, Neechan. I needed that. You're right, we'll be fine,"_ he expressed gratefully. He thought of his classmates, who'd be waiting for him on the other side of that line, acting as support for the pros.

A couple weeks ago, the Meta Liberation Army made an unexpected announcement. It seemed their leader had gone mental, and a significant portion of his forces with him. Learning that he and Himiko, instead of rebelling against the new non-quirk superpower laws, had accepted them with grace, apparently sent him off his rocker with rage.

Not long after, it was revealed that their group was in control of an entire town. They'd hunkered down, and challenged the heroes to come in after them. Unfortunately, their walls were nearly impregnable, and regular flight quirk users were able to be taken out before really getting any headway.

So naturally, they'd be coming down smack dab in the middle of a courtyard not far from that wall, from orbit. Phenex and Kshatriya were packed as much as they could be with strategically-picked pros, who he and Himiko would be dropping into that courtyard. Himiko would be sticking around, and he'd be in charge of breaking their defenses from the inside, so that the other pros could funnel in.

**"Operation commences in one minute. Prepare for launch."**

Izuku took a deep breath, confident his real body would feel the positive effects, before Phenex was loaded onto a catapult beneath U.A. Kshatriya was likewise loaded onto a second one, as Izuku turned his mechanical head to lock visual receptors with the singular mono-eye that had turned to look his way.

**"Launching in 3...2...1…"**

Izuku felt a rush that he guaranteed filled his blua aura reserves at least a little. Flight had always brought him joy, ever since he became capable of achieving it. In his flesh and blood body, it was a rush of wind, blowing past him as the world below him passed him by. In this body, it was a slight rattling of mechanical parts, and the sound of his power being used to propel him loudly as he told the laws of physics where they could stuff it.

Quickly, he extended that blue aura he'd been generating to Kshatriya, and both mechs accelerated tenfold, shooting up into the sky. Soon, the weapons systems on both mechs shut down, letting everyone know they were nearly to the peak of their ascent.

Soon, they were above the atmosphere, and Cobalt readily accepted the boost in power from the awe and excitement coming from his and Marida's passengers, before checking in with Uravity.

_"We're above the drop zone. Are you ready on your end?"_

_"Let me just let 'em know you're in position...Yeah, we're gonna start now. Be safe, Izuku."_

_"You too. Have fun flinging trees at the villains, Uravity!"_

Cobalt gave a thumbs up to Marida, and the head of Kshatriya nodded in acknowledgement. Both mechs flipped so that they were upside down in comparison to the earth, quad wings and shields positioning themselves to take the brunt of reentry.

Both mechs rattled violently as they fell through the atmosphere, reentry being a lot more rough on them than exiting the atmosphere. Cobalt could sense that several of the pros within his mechanical body were nervous, and projected his calmness onto them, helping relieve them of their worry.

After a minute or so, several loud clunking sounds were heard by those in his cockpit, and Cobalt rolled his eyes, knowing Marida would have to explain the exact same thing on her end.

"Problem child?"

_"Just loading Sap Shots, Sensei. You're hearing the ammo moving around inside me. Hull integrity is still at one hundred percent. We're fine,"_ the empathic hero explained with a smirk. Izuku let out a very unprofessional chuckle as he and Himiko simultaneously flipped, startling the occupants of their mechs' cockpits as they went from falling headfirst to feetfirst.

_"I have eyes on the courtyard. Remember, we're gonna take the brunt of the attacks while you get out. Don't be alarmed when you lose access to your quirks while they're unloading on us, that's just our I-Fields. We'll stop using them as soon as everybody's off and on the ground,"_ Marida explained.

They were coming in hot, and Cobalt could see the fighting going on at the edge of the town, holding in a laugh as he saw an uprooted tree getting tossed at one of the hastily constructed towers along the border. Their entry wasn't unseen by their foes, and already several villains were figuring out where they'd be landing, preemptively filling in the courtyard they'd selected as their landing zone.

Slowing down, the two enormous mechs made a quartet of loud thuds as their armored feet touched down, Kshatriya's mono-eye thrumming once in a technique Izuku learned a while ago his sister uses for intimidation purposes, his own mechanical body undergoing a short metamorphosis as it unfurled into Aura-Enhanced Mode.

"WRECK THESE SCUM!" someone shouted amongst the villains, and quirks of all kinds were flung at the pair as they knelt down and set up their wings/shields to intercept, activating the I-Fields, as Hatsume affectionately called the defensive tech.

A significant amount of the attacks thrown at them vanished into nothing, the quirk-inhibiting energy either outright destroying or reducing the power of every projectile quirk that hit them. Izuku counted thirty-two villains in the courtyard. _"You get sixteen, I get the same?"_ he asked his sister.

_"No, I need to conserve my ammo a bit since I'll be in here longer. You get twenty-four, I'll get eight. Marking my targets on your HUD,"_ the cat-eyed heroine explained as eight red Xs appeared over her targets. Their passengers offloaded, Cobalt decided to be a little ballsy.

"Our turn," he said through a voice emitter as his two front shields went back to their default position to either side and twenty-four canisters were launched out of his back, trailing green aura particles as they flew at their targets.

Many of their targets dodged, but with the powers Cobalt and Marida possessed, _every_ projectile is a homing projectile. The lot of them found themselves covered in sticky, sweet-smelling goo that greatly reduced their mobility, allowing for the pros the pair had brought with them to quickly restrain them properly.

_"Meimei's right. They _are_ environmentally friendly. Who'd have thought you could use actual tree sap like that?"_ Marida commented in amusement, before a mechanical clang was heard, and Izuku realized she was patting his 'back.' _"All right, scram. I'll see you soon, baby bro."_

The former verdette nodded, and took off, deploying his shield bits to destroy any weapons carried by the villains he passed, and firing sap shots at them as well. Soon, he saw the wall, and could sense his friends and comrades on the other side of it. _"I'm about to wreck that wall. Move out of the way, guys!"_ he said as he landed hard on his mechanical feet, then straight-up bull rushed the wall, quickly smashing through the rush job of brick and mortar, passing the pros who rushed into the breach as he made his way to his class, relieved tears emerging from his eyes upon seeing that none of them had more than a scratch or two, 2-B also looking well off, if a bit smug on the part of Neito.

Cobalt sat down in front of his friends, facing the breach and smiling as several of them climbed onto his mechanical form to better keep their side of the breach secure, taking advantage of their raised elevation. He was a bit startled when nearly his entire field of view was taken up by the grinning form of Uravity. He _knew_ he started crying when the brunette leaned her forehead against right above where she was aware his sight came from, essentially rubbing her forehead against his, even if he couldn't feel it.

"I'm glad you're safe, Izuku," she said quietly, her smile never quite leaving her face even if a couple tears did.

_"I'm glad you're all okay as well,"_ he replied affectionately, a mechanical fist rising to stop about half a meter away from her. Sensing his intent, she grinned cheekily and fist bumped him.

"Now let's finish this and go home, 'kay?"

The mission was rough and tumble at times, but everybody went home, or to the hospital, safe, and looking forward to the next day.

One Evening, During Fall Of The Second Year Of U.A.

Melissa Shield smiled fondly at the teen seated across from her. The picnic date had been incredibly fun, and her boyfriend's cooking, while needing a bit of work still, was pretty tasty, all things considered. More and more, as the night wore on and she enjoyed their back and forth, was a thought crossing her mind.

_'I'm glad Hatsume-chan and I made their bodies capable of blushing,'_ she thought as artificial eyes darted to the side, and the aforementioned blush crept onto Ao's face. The boy had confessed a while ago that her smile drove him nuts in ways he had trouble articulating. "I'm really glad I confessed to you. You're just so cute, Ao-kun," she teased happily.

The boy let out a squeak, before composing himself a bit and retorting. "You made this body, Shield-chan. You know it's just a mechanical replica of my brother's body," he said quietly.

The blond American rolled her eyes. "Yes, it is, but you and I _both_ know the two of you are very different people. While, yes, you're both shy, _you_ are also more blunt than he is, and a bit more grumpy at times. He jumps into a fight almost instantly, whipping up a plan as he goes along, but you're a good bit more cautious, taking time to make a plan before executing it. You're also a bit more prone to jealousy, I've noticed," she said before poking the freckled teen's nose. "I fell for _you,_ not your brother. Please have confidence that I took the time to learn the differences."

Ao nodded, a frown making its way onto his face. "Sorry. I'm...just a little sensitive about it. You've been very kind to me, and I just worry sometimes that it's because of my brother and not me," he replied, the frown slowly turning into a smile. "I'm really lucky, aren't I? Even after discarding my body and my life, people decided they wanted me to stick around, and a pretty engineer lady decided that, along with doing maintenance on me, she'd like to date me."

Placing a hand on his, Melissa addressed him gently. "Ao-kun…"

Suddenly flustered at the contact, Ao got up quickly. "I-I'll just pack up our trash and recycling, and we can get going," he stammered as he did just that. Melissa smiled sadly at the boy's retreating form, sighing as he rounded the bend, out of sight.

_'He needs to have more confidence in himself,'_ she thought to herself as she absently ran a hand through her hair.

Sadly, a problem presented itself not long after. Melissa grit her teeth in annoyance as a pair of drunks who were passing through decided to stop and harass her.

"Hic-So, sexy, ya wanna...ya wanna have a good time?" one of them slurred, stumbling over his words as he tried his best not to stumble over his feet.

Uttering a groan of irritation, the aquamarine-eyed genius responded. "I have a boyfriend, and you're both disgustingly intoxicated, _assholes_," she retorted sharply, letting out a curse in English at the end.

One of them made a show of looking around, nearly falling over as he did so. "Well-hic I don'...I don't see him around anywhere-"

"I'm right here, turd blossoms," Ao called out, having rounded the corner once more, looking none too happy.

"Where-HIC...Where the hell did you come from?"

"I was disposing of some trash. Do I need to call waste management to dispose of more?" he taunted as he walked quickly to reinforce his girlfriend, who'd already gotten her phone out. He idly noticed a groupchat pop up that had the names of his brother and several of his classmates in it.

One of the drunk's eyes widened, having finally processed the insult. "Are you implying we're trash, you shit-HIC...shithead?" he asked noisily.

"Yes, I am. Considering the smell coming off of the two of you, I'm beginning to wonder if you aren't also literal trash."

"Why you little!"

**CLANG**

"OW! What the fuck are you made of, metal?!" the drunk who'd punched him asked, cradling his hand before gasping at the sight before him.

Ao's single remaining good eye rolled, the other sparking as mechanical parts moved around in plain view as he responded. "Yes, actually, and you just went from public inebriation to quirk-usage while intoxicated. Was that _really_ necessary? I'm gonna be getting funny looks all the way home now!" he said, a portion of his false skin having been torn off when he'd been punched.

"Uh-uh, no way. With that level of damage, you're coming back to U.A. with me, Ao-kun! Hatsume-chan and I will fix you up in the morning!" Melissa said with finality.

"You dumb shits aren't going anywhere! You hurt my bro, now I'm gonna beat you both like a drumset-"

**"SOMEONE STUPID, GET IN MY WAY!"**

**THUD**

"NOOOOO! BROOOOO!"

**"Do you see this apron, shit-for-brains? IT SAYS DON'T FUCK WITH ME!"** their savior exploded, first verbally then literally, sending his remaining opponent flying into a lamp post.

When the dust settled, Kacchan stood angrily, wearing an apron with text that said, "Don't fuck with the cook!" With a roar of irritation, the aggressively friendly teen approached the couple. As soon as he reached them, he took their hands and placed them near each other.

**"You dumb fucks are on a date! HOLD HANDS, DAMNIT!"**

Ao and Melissa burst into peals of laughter, obeying the commands of the blast hero.

"Seriously, though, you shits should head back. I'll get your picnic crap, and deal with the police bullshit. There's food at the 2-A dorm if you're still hungry. Now skedaddle! They're gonna wanna know how the date went, and the sooner you satisfy The Admiral's thirst for gossip, the less I'll have to deal with her stupidity on the matter," the hero in training said.

The pair didn't need to be told twice, heading back to U.A. hand in hand. It had been a fun night, and while it looked a little dicey near the end, at least it had ended with a bang.


End file.
